Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Part 2 · Section 20
Sect. 20. PROP. XX. The Covenant of Grace is the beſt Covenant.
NOt but that the Covenant of Works was perfect in its kind, and moſt exactly fitted to that State, wherein Man was Created. God therein required nothing but what was mans Duty, as he was His Creature. Required nothing, but what man was able to perform. And promiſed all that man could deſire. As perfect perpetual Obedience was required of Man in the Covenant of Works; ſo perfect and perpetual Happineſs was promiſed thereupon. Thus the Covenant of works did excellently Comport with the ſtate of Man in Innocency.
But then the Covenant of Grace only can be to Mans advantage, in his fallen Eſtate. The Covenant of Grace is the beſt Covenant for us ſinners. It is impoſſible, that ſinners ſhould have Relief, and Benefit by the Covenant of Works. Indeed it may be beneficial unto ſinners, Occaſionally, Indirectly, that is, ſhewing our Miſery by ſin, that hereby we are fallen ſhort of Glory and Happineſs, laid under the Curſe and Condemnation of the Law; and become Obnoxious to Gods Wrath, and ſubject to Death Temporal, and Eternal. Thus it is true, the Covenant of Works may be an Occaſion of Awakening our Conſciences, ſhewing what loſt Creatures we are, ſhould we ſtick to that Covenant, and if no other way be found out, but we muſt ſtand or fall by the ſentence of that Covenant. And thus it may ſome way prepare ſinners to accept of the Covenant of Grace, propounded and held forth. As the Iſraelites Bondage under the Egyptian Task-Maſters ſhould have prepared them to hearken to, and welcome Moſes and Aaron, who were ſent about their Deliverance, Exod. 4.31. But obſerve, all the benefit ſinners can have this way from the Covenant of Works, is only upon ſuppoſition of a Covenant of Grace, provided to relieve them from the ſtrict Sentence of that other Covenant.
That ſinners can have no benefit Properly, and Directly from the Covenant of Works, (which makes againſt them) but only from the Covenant of Grace, framed on purpoſe for ſinners Relief.
And that the Covenant of Grace is beſt for us: Appeareth thus,
(1.) The Covenant of Works was for the Preſervation and Continuation of Mans Happineſs: But it ſpeaketh not to his preſent caſe, being now ſinful and miſerable, whereas the Covenant of Grace was provided for his Recovery: Poſt naufragium tabula, a Plank after Shipwrack. The Covenant of Grace holds forth the way of Mans Reſtitution and Reſtauration to Happineſs.
(2.) The Condition of the Covenant of Works, is utterly Impoſſible to ſinners. To be a ſinner, and to be perfectly Conformable to the Will and Law of God; to be a ſinner, and not to be a ſinner; is a plain Contradiction: It is impoſſible, Quod factum eſt infectum fieri. But the Condition of the Covenant of Grace is poſſible, and attainable; yea, eaſily in it ſelf.
Object. But do not many Divines ſay, That it is as poſſible for a man to keep the Law perfectly, as heartily to accept of Chriſt upon the Terms of the Goſpel?
Anſw. Such Expreſſions muſt not be taken ſtrictly, and Rigorouſly, but with a favourable Conſtruction. For it is ſimply, and naturally impoſſible, that a ſinner ſhould be perfectly Conformed to Gods Law: But it is not naturally impoſſible that a ſinner ſhould Repent, and ſhould come to Obey from the Heart.
True, (as I have proved before) none ſo without Gods Special Grace; yet that any, who are called on to Repent, and Believe, do it not, they can only blame themſelves: The hindrance is in their Wills. They might come to Chriſt if they would. As Mr. Of the Covenant. p. 343.Ball ſays: The Invitation of God is not ſo hard, that Man cannot fulfill it, if he would: But ſuch as if Man would, he could not but Execute.
Sinner, How it it? Art thou unſeignedly willing to leave thy ſins, that would Ruine thee for ever? Art thou heartily willing to accept of Chriſt; as to be Redeemed and Saved, ſo to be Guided, Ruled, and Governed by him? This is the Sum and Subſtance of the Condition of the Covenant of Grace. If thou art unwilling to this, certainly, thou judgest thy ſelf unworthy of Eternal Life, and ſhalt be Self-condemned. You ſee, they are no hard Terms, whereon Life and Happineſs is offered and promiſed in the Covenant of Grace. If you be but willing, truly willing, it is done. And if you be unwilling to abandon your Luſts, that would be your Death, and unwilling to give up your ſelves to Jeſus Chriſt, the only Redeemer, and an All-ſufficient Saviour; it is evident, your Deſtruction is of your ſelves, that you are left without excuſe.
(3.) The Covenant of Works requiring and exacting Obedience every way perfect, as the Condition of it, there was no proviſion of a Mediator, no place for a Mediator, when God made that Covenant with man. The Covenant of Works owned no ſuch thing, as Acceptation through, and for the Righteouſneſs of another. But the Covenant of Grace does admit of, and hold forth a Mediator. According to the Covenant of Grace, we may be Juſtified and Saved for the Righteouſneſs of another, ſcil. of Jeſus Chriſt, the Lord our Righteouſneſs; when it was impoſſible that we ſhould be Juſtified, and Saved by our own Righteouſneſs, And the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt (God-man) which is made over to a believing ſinner for his Juſtification, is a more excellent Righteouſneſs, than that of any meer Creature.
(4.) The Covenant of Works holds forth no ſuch thing, as Pardon. Abſolute perfect Obedience being (as I ſaid) the Condition of it, upon the leaſt ſin, that Covenant was Irreparably broken. But the Covenant of Grace accepting of ſincere Obedience, and requiring no more as its Condition, granteth out a Pardon to thoſe, whoſe ſins are not Inconſiſtent with Sincerity. And ſo this Covenant is capable of Renewing. Waſt thou not obliged to forſake ſin, and to give up thy ſelf to Chriſt, and his Service, by thy very Baptiſm? But alas, Haſt thou not broken thy Baptiſmal Covenant? Yea, Haſt thou not lived long in the breach of Covenant? And yet if at laſt thou wouldſt Repent, and come in to Chriſt, thou ſhouldſt be pardoned, and accepted.
(5.) Man might keep the Condition of the Covenant of Works for a time, and yet afterwards fall off, and loſe all. God Created Man at firſt in a ſtate of Integrity, with ſufficient ability to Obey perfectly if he would; but did not then think meet to Engage, and Undertake for him, that his will ſhould be ever to Obey. But ſuch as come up to the Terms of the Covenant of Grace, ſtand ſafe, are upon ſurer ground than Adam in Innocency. Their Perſeverance is certain; and as their Perſeance is certain, ſo their Salvation, and Happineſs. Thus get within the Ark of the Covenant, and you are Lodged ſafe indeed.
Now, Ʋſe. 1. Here take Notice of the Riches of Divine Grace and Mercy. When man had once broken Covenant with God, one would have thought, the Divine Majeſty ſhould have been ſo Incenſed againſt him for it, as never more to have dealt with man in this way; or if He did make another Covenant with man, it ſhould have been upon harder Terms: Yet behold, and wonder, from mans breach of the Covenant of works, he takes occaſion to manifeſt more of his Grace, in making another Covenant more to his Creatures advantage, when man might rather have concluded, that he would caſt off for ever, and would be favourable no more. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? If a man find his Enemy, will he let him go well away out of his hand? God dealt not ſo with the Angels that fell, as he hath done with ſinful men.
2. See here the groſs Ignorance, Folly, and Madneſs of Self-juſtitiaries. Such as adhere to the Covenant of Works, and hope to be ſaved by their works, ſlighting and contemning Chriſt, and Grace offered. They that ſay to the works of their hands, ye are our Saviours: And ſay, we are Lords, we will not come to thee. Surely, they are miſerable, fooliſh Creatures, they know not what is good for themſelves, that go about to eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs, rejecting Chriſt, and his Righteouſneſs. Theſe truſt to a broken reed: To turn away from Chriſt, to relie on ones own Righteouſneſs, is to build on the Sand, not on the Rock: Or as if a man leaned his hand on a Wall, and a Serpent bit him. Indeed better no hope, than falſe hope; Better no confidence, than Carnal confidence. It is better to have no peace, than that which is falſe. A lying refuge will at laſt prove no Refuge, will be no Protection, but the Confuſion of thoſe that put their truſt in it. I ſhould have far greater hopes of one that is low in Self-deſpair, than of one that is highly Confident in himſelf.