The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
XV. Faith is precious in this, That it's the only condition of the Second Covenant.
XV. THe last thing of all that shews the preciousness of this Grace of Faith is this, That it is the only Condition of the Second Covenant: So God loved the World that he sent forth his only begotten Son, that whosoever beleeved should not perish, but have everlasting Life: The Condition of the first Covenant was, Do this and live; the Condition of the Second Covenant, it is, Beleeve and Live: Faith is the only Condition of the Second Covenant, therefore it is that which doth interest the soul in all the rich treasures, that there are in the second Covenant: Now all the good of a Christian consists in the benefit of the Second Covenant; whatsoever riches a Christian hath, it is a fruit of the Second Covenant, it comes from that, all the comfort of a Saint is in the Covenant of Grace that God hath made with him: now it is Faith only that is the condition of the Second Covenant that God hath made with the soul in Jesus Christ, he requires nothing as the condition of it, all the works of preparation that there are before, are not at all the condition of the Second Covenant, no nor the works of Sanctification are not the conditions of it; the works of Preparation are only such things as without which we cannot come to have Faith; as thus, We cannot have Faith but we must come to know what Christ is, and we must know that Christ is a Savior, and from what he saves us; and we must be sensible of them, and not only know them, but be affected with them: these are things that do necessarily go before Faith, but not as any conditions. Works of Preparation are not the condition of the Second Covenant, and works of Sanctification are the condition of a justified person, but not the condition of Justification, not the condition of the Covenant that God hath made with us in Christ, rather the fruits of the Covenant than the condition of it: all the works of Sanctification they flow from the Covenant, and Faith that's the Grace that is the condition of it, and God uses this Grace to be the condition of the Second Covenant, because hereby God doth manifest more the glory of his free Grace than before, because the Creature may not boast, because the Covenant may be free, therefore it is that God hath chosen Faith to be the condition of the Covenant because it may be free; if so be that God had chosen other Graces, it would not have been so free as by choosing Faith, for other graces are graces that are indeed the renewal of that which Adam had in Innoceney at first, the Image of God that Adam had there, but Faith doth but go out of it self to another, that's the proper Grace of Faith, and therefore this doth shew the freeness of the Covenant of Grace, more than if other graces had been the condition of the Covenant; Faith, it's but the hand to receive, it's not the condition of the Covenant so as works were before in Adam, for this now is not the condition as a work neither; it's one of the meanest works in its self, take it in its own nature, its that which doth abase man as much as any thing that is, it is a Grace whereby man goes out of himself for all his good, and receives it of another, but the excellency consists in this, In that it is an Instrument to fetch so much good to the soul; there lies the excellency of it: so that it is a condition, but not a condition meerly as it is a work in its self, but as an instrument that God hath appointed to fetch in from Jesus Christ, so it comes to be the condition of the Covenant, and this is most sutable to a Covenant of free Grace, the most sutable condition that possibly could be; and hence it is that God would have this to be the condition of the Covenant because it is sure, it could not have been so sure if other Graces had been the condition of it, because other Graces could not assure the heart of that perfect Righteousness to stand before an infinite, just, and holy God, so as this can do; other Graces if they be weak, and have imperfections in them, the soul is presently at a stand, and knows not what to do, how can they be fit to be tendered up to an infinite holy God? but now Faith, though it be never so weak and imperfect the soul needs not be at stand because of this, because it's a hand to fetch in that which is perfect; now a weak hand may receive a rich Jewel as well as a strong hand, a weak hand cannot work so well as a strong hand, but a weak hand can take a precious thing as wel as a strong hand; now therfore I say the Covenant is more sure, becaus Faith is the condition of it, for though it be never so weak, yet this is the proper work to fetch and receive in a perfect Righteousness.
And the soul is not liable to so many temptations if it understand things aright upon the knowledg of Faith being the condition of the Covenant, as when it apprehends other graces to be the condition of the Covenant; as thus, Many that are weak, and not understanding aright the Covenant of Grace, they do think indeed that God will have mercy upon them, that is, if they were so delivered from their corruptions, and have so much Power against their sins, or if they were able to perform duties in such and such a manner, then they think God would have mercy upon them, and it is very Natural to a man to think that God will have mercy upon him, upon no other terms but upon his obedience, and his duties, and upon his corruptions that he doth overcome; I say, this is very natural, why? because it was once the condition of the Covenant God dealt with Adam in a Natural way sutable to a rational Creature, the first Covenant, and the condition of it was that which was sutable to the Nature of a rational Creature, and so God dealt with him in a Natural way: now men that are yet natural, …hey have some apprehension of God, and would fain have peace with God, and pardon or their sins, they are very proue to conceive that they are to deal with God in a Natural way, that is, if I overcome my sins, God will have mercy upon me, I say, this is to look upon God as if he would deal with thee in a natural way▪ and by this thou comest to mistake: but when we come to understand the Covenant aright, that God doth not shew mercy to the soul upon this condition of overcoming corruptions, and performing of Duties, though it's true, whersoever there is Faith, th…re will be this; but when the soul comes to understand that God doth not deal with the soul upon this condition, but the condition is to go out of its self, and beleeve in a Mediator, and to fetch Righteousness from another; this doth help the soul against many temptations, and one that comes to understand the way of the Covenant aright, they are mightily delivered from many temptations that other Christians are pestered with; …o that this is the excellency of Faith, That it is the only Condition of the Second Covenant.