Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Part 2 · Section 6
Rom. 10.9.
If thou ſhalt confeſs, &c.
Sect. 6. PROP. VI. The Covenant of Grace, having the true Nature of a Covenant, is not without Condition.
MAny (I know) deny the Covenant of grace to to have any condition, yea, make this a mai… point of difference betwixt the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of grace, that (as they hold) the covenant of works was conditional, whereas the Covenant of Grace is abſolute. Yea, they will not ſtick to ſay, that if you ſuppoſe the Covenant of Grace conditional, you turn it into a Covenant of Works.
Yet many who deny the Term [condition] will readily yield the thing. Yea, all that have not their judgments wofully corrupted, that have not drunk in the very dreggs of Antinomianiſm, muſt grant the thing, however they take offence without cauſe at the term, condition. Certainly, all that have not ſuckt in deſperate principle of Errour, muſt yield, and aſſert the neceſſity of faith, repentance, and ſincere obedience, as without which there is no Salvation; which indeed is all we mean, when we ſay they are conditions of the Covenant, and of ſalvation therein promiſed.
Some call them qualifications diſpoſing the ſubject, as I grant they are: but when we are ſpeaking of the Covenant, and what it requires, we cannot uſe any more apt and proper term, than the word condition. And what is the condition of a Covenant, but that, without which the benefit promiſed cannot be expected, and upon which it may.
When another promiſeth this or that to you, not ſimply and abſolutely, but upon Terms, upon ſuch or ſuch a Condition, this you know is a Conditional promiſe. And that upon which the performance of the promiſe is ſuſpended, is the condition of the promiſe.
Now the Lord promiſeth life and ſalvation to us, but if we believe, if we unfeignedly repent and turn to him, if we reſolve and ſet upon a courſe of ſincere and new obedience: and if we will not come up to theſe terms, he tells us plainly, there is no ſalvation for us, but we ſhall dye in our ſins. Now is it not plain, that theſe are conditions of the Covenant, and of the promiſed ſalvation, without which men can have no intereſt, right, or title to what is ſo promiſed, Undoubtedly they are Conditions, whether men call them ſo, or no.
I am very confident, that many are prejudiced againſt the term condition, upon a meer miſtake. As they think, the word either aimeth at the ſetting up of the power of Nature, or the merits of mens works, or both: when there is no ſuch thing. A… I hope ſufficiently to clear it to you, before I hav… done with this Subject, that this Covenants cond… tions are neither meritorious of ſalvation, nor to b… performed by the power of Nature, or of a ma… own free will. Certainly, the Covenant of Gra… knows, or admits of no ſuch condition, as will … ſtand with the honour of free Grace, But the hono… of Gods free grace is not onelyonly ſecured, but pr… claimed here, 1. That he would goe ſo low, th… he is pleaſed to accept of ſincere obedience, whe… he might have exacted perfect obedience from … his creatures. 2. That he hath promiſed, and do… work the condition in his people. 3. That he ha… made ſo large and ample promiſe to, and doth ſo gl… riouſly reward his own grace, and workings in h… people.
Theſe things premiſed to prevent unjuſt prejudic… I come to the proof of the propoſition, that th… Covenant of Grace hath ſome condition, or it is properly no covenant. A Covenant is mutuus contra… ctus per ſponſionem & ſtipulationem; It is a mutual engagement of parties, including a promiſe on th… one part, and a ſtipulation, or condition to be performed or required on the other part, on which the promiſe is ſuſpended, And this is the difference betwixt a ſimple promiſe, and a Covenant; A promiſ… bindeth one party, to wit, him that makes it: a Covenant bindeth both parties. Thus all Covenant doe neceſſarily imply, and include a condition.
It is a very weak and frivolous exception, to ſay we confound the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of Grace, if we make this conditional.
Pray obſerve this, the Covenant of Grace having a condition, it follows that it hath the Nature …f a covenant, hath that which is proper, and eſ…ential to a Covenant: but it will by no means …ollow, that it is of the ſame kind with the Cove…ant of works, unleſs the condition were the …ame
I grant indeed ſometimes the word [covenant] … uſed for an abſolute promiſe, where there is no ſti…ulation: but then I ſay it is uſed improperly. As in Geneſis 9.9. to ver. the 14. That which is there …ermed a Covenant (probably to ſhew its firmneſs …nd ſtability,) yet in ſtrictneſs of ſpeech is no more …han an abſolute promiſe. Now if men will compare …he Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Noah, …ot onelyonly in regard of firmneſs, ſureneſs, but of …bſoluteneſs too, as equally, with condition; then …hey muſt ſay, that to ſpeak properly, there is but …ne Covenant made with man, viz. the Covenant of Works; but as for that, we call the Covenant of Grace, it is properly no more, than an abſolute …romiſe, properly no Covenant.
But if the Covenant of Works, and the Cove…ant of Grace are diſtinct Species, they muſt neceſſa…ily each of them partake of the nature of the genus, …hat is, have what is eſſential to a Covenant in gene…al, as this is eſſential, even a promiſe with a ſtipula…ion or condition; in this they muſt both agree, or they …annot both be Covenants, But then the difference …f the conditions required in theſe two Covenants, …hat is the thing, which makes the diſtinction be…wixt theſe Covenants.
I hope now you will be able to go along with me …ere, that to deny the Covenant of Grace hath any …ondition is to deny that it is a Covenant. I hope Sirs, you will not deny, that there is any Cove… of Grace, to deny conditions.
2. What is a Condition in a Covenant, but … upon which the promiſe is ſuſpended, which be… put, we may lay claim to what is promiſed, … without which we cannot claim what is promiſ… Now is it not the Covenant of Grace that … forth and promiſeth ſalvation; and it is not the p… miſe of ſalvation ſo ſuſpended upon faith, repe… ance, and ſincere obedience, that all who have th… ſame now mentioned may certainly expect ſalv… on, may lay claim to it, (not indeed as a thing t… merited by them, but onelyonly merited by Chriſt … them, and graciouſly promiſed of God to the… Such, and none but ſuch (I ſpeak of adult perſo… can hope to be ſaved. And is not that a conditio… the promiſe, and of the Salvation promiſed, … if we have it, then ſalvation is ours by promiſe: if we have it not, it is none of ours, we can cl… no ſuch thing; One would think that one Text al… were ſufficient to decide this controverſie, as g… a controverſie as it is, Rom. 10.9. If thou ſhalt … feſs with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and believe … thy heart, thou ſhalt be ſaved. Thoſe with wh… we have to doe in this controverſie, will gr… hope, that it is onelyonly the Covenant of Grace wh… holds forth ſalvation, that is, happineſs as att… able to man fallen. Now we ſee here, as evide… may be, ſalvation held forth conditionally in … Scripture, [If thou believeſt with thy heart, &c.] therefore the Covenant of Grace holds forth ſa… tion conditionally.
3. I may argue otherwiſe from this clear tr… which I hope they would be aſhamed to deny, That we are ſaved by Faith. Now if we are ſaved … Faith, we are ſaved by it, either as that unto which (though not for which) God hath promiſed ſalvation, …d thus it's apparently made a condition, upon …hich the promiſe of ſalvation is ſuſpended: or …e we are ſaved by faith, without reſpect to Gods …acious Covenant and promiſe, which if ſo; then …ith ſhould ſave of it ſelf, by ſome intrinſick me…, or Vertue of its own; which I hope they that …ny conditions in the Covenant, would not dare … aſſert. So
4. If faith, repentance, and ſincere obedience, be …t conditions required in the Covenant of Grace, I …ould ſain know, by what Law or Covenant they …e required, is it the Covenant of Works; or of …race, that ſaith, whoſoever believeth ſhall be ſaved? … it the Covenant of Works, or of Grace, that …th repent that your ſins may be blotted out. If …is be the Tenour of the Law, and Covenant of …orks, Then the Law, and Covenant of Works …veth Life: But if this be the Tenor of the Cove…nt of Grace, if men will grant that, then it is …ident, that the Covenant of Grace is not abſo…te, but conditionall.
5. Suppoſe the Covenant of Grace abſolute, with…nt condition, and then how is it poſſible for any …an, or woman in the world to know, they have an …tereſt in the Covenant, and the bleſſings thereof …thout extraordinary divine revelation? So there …uld be no ſuch duty, as the Apoſtle Peter exhorts …riſtians unto, to make their calling and Election, …d Salvation ſure. If there be no conditions in the …venant, then all would ſeem to have an equall …re, or no ſhare at all in it. If it be ſaid, God did not intend it for the benefit of all alike yet … withſtanding, it is impoſſible that thoſe to whom … doth intend the benefits and bleſſings of the Co… nant, ſhould know any ſuch thing (ſince they are n… expreſſed by name) if there be no conditions, … qualifications deciphering the perſons to whom the… ſpecial bleſſings do belong. Chriſtians, take he… of entertaining this opinion, as you would not ſu… vert the true ground of ſpiritual peace, and con… lation. This opinion is very prejudiciall to all ſou… ſolid, Scripture-hope, and joy.
6. We have proved before that the Covenant … Grace, doth partake of the Nature of a Law; the… fore there muſt needs be ſomething required. If were all promiſe, it could not be a Law. We ſo… times read of Gods commanding the Covenant Pſal. 111.9. He hath commaded his covenant … ever. Surely he doth not ſpeak this of the Covenant of Works; for that is not the everlaſting covenant the Scriptures ſpeak of, As one obſerves. The… is mention made of a covenant promiſed, Deut. 7.1… and there is mention alſo of a covenant command… (Deut. 4.13.) not to imply two Covenants, … two parts of the ſame Covenant, and pray tell … what is the Bond of the covenant, if it layes no… upon man? we read, Ezek. 20.37. of the Bond… the Covenant; And ſurely (as one ſayes) there is condition in that Bond.
In Pſal. 25.10. to keep Gods Covenant, and … Teſtimonies, are made all one. Covenant … Teſtimonies are Synonyma's, meaning Legem … re ſancitam. The Ark was called the Ark of … covenant, becauſe there was kept the book of … covenant, Gods Law, which by Covenant the… were bound to obſerve. [All the paths of the Lord …re mercy and truth, unto ſuch as keep his covenant …nd his Teſtimonies. This text cannot ſpeak of the …ovenant of Works, ſure. 1. Becauſe there are …one, that keep that Covenant. 2. Becauſe … mercy belongs to that Covenant. No mercy …s to be expected, upon the Terms of that Cove…ant.
Again, Pſal. 103.18. To keep his covenant, and to remember his commandments to do them, are put together, the latter as exegetical of the former. And …er. 17. the mercy of the Lord is from everlaſting …o everlaſting upon ſuch as keep his covenant. The covenant of works cannot be intended here, The Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of a covenant of mercy; which is yet a covenant requiring duty. There are commands, as well as promiſes belonging to the covenant of grace. Commands to be obſerved on our part, as well as Promiſes to be performed on Gods part. We muſt remember and conſider, God is a God, that enters into covenant with us; and we are his Creatures, we that are taken into covenant. And how can it ſeem ſtrange that a God in covenant requires duty and ſubjection of his creatures. But this will be further cleared when we come to ſhew, what the new covenant conditions are.
7. Seventhly. If the covenant of Grace hath no condition, then none could be ſaid either to keep it or to break it. Then none could be guilty of tranſgreſſing, or forſaking it. There is no thinking, that any man ſhould keep the covenant of works. And if the covenant of Grace have no condition; then there is nothing in this covenant for men to keep. If the covenant be abſolute, there can be no breaking of it on mans part. If there are no conditio… required, there are none to be obſerved. If m… are bound to nothing in this covenant, then thou… they doe nothing, they cannot be ſaid to fail in … thing, to tranſgreſs and break this covenant. … yet men are ſometimes charged, Deut. 29.25. Iſa. ….5. Pſal. 78.10.37. pray think a little ſeriouſly this; If you ſay the Covenant is abſolute, then cannot be broken on mans part; then if it be b… ken, it ſhould be broken by God himſelf. But it … horrid blaſphemy to charge the Lord, that is fai… full, with breach of covenant. The objections th… are uſually made againſt conditions in the Coven… of Grace, have been anſwered already in what premiſed. To ſay. that a condition here would … rogate, from the perfection and fullneſs of Chriſt… merit, or from the freeneſs of God's Grace in … ſtowing Covenant-bleſſings, hath no ſhew of re… ſon, unleſs ſome meritorious condition was plead… for. Thoſe texts, Jer. 31.33. Heb. 8.10. wh… ſome urge; I ſhall ſpeak to, under the ninth prop… ſition.
Well. I hope you have ſeen it cleared, and und… niably proved, that the Covenant of Grace ha… its Conditions. Now would you bring this tru… home to your hearts, and conſciences; Sirs, wh… can you ſay for your ſelves, to evidence your rig… and Title to the bleſſings promiſed? Are you tru… believers, or not? Are you ſound converts, or not Are you upright walkers, or not? Such you mu… be, otherwiſe you cannot eſcape the condemnatio… threatned, incurred by the breach of the Covena… of Works, or enjoy the ſalvation held forth, and promiſed in the Covenant of Grace.
I may expect, that this Doctrine will not be pleaſing to ſome. They have been called Legall Preachers, and Duty-mongers, &c. that have held, …nd maintained the Covenant of Grace to be condi…ional. But I have been wont ſtill to ſuſpect thoſe …ayes and opinions, which a carnal corrupt heart na…rally complieth with. It is too probable, that …uch are falſe wayes. How pleaſing is it to fleſh and …ood, to tell ſinners of an abſolute Covenant, where …od hath promiſed to doe all, requiring nothing of …hem. Chriſt died to ſave ſinners, & if you are ſinners, …er is no more to be ſaid or done, but he died to ſave …u; would not ſuch doctrine pleaſe the vileſt & moſt …aceleſs wretches. As I remember a ranting Antino…ian, that preached ſuch Doctrine as this, about …ambridge, That Fornicators, adulterers, effeminate, …ieves, covetous, drunkards, &c. are the onelyonly …ieces cut out for heaven, Though certainly, it was …treme blockiſhneſs, or ſomething worſe than block…hneſs, not to take notice, that when the Apoſtle yes, 1 Cor. 6.11. [ſuch were ſome of you] he im…ediately addes, but ye are waſhed, but ye are ſantified. If this were the meſſage, Gods miniſters …ad to deliver, were we to tell the drunkard, the un…ean wretch, the covetous, and unjuſt perſon, go…g on to ſatisfie their luſts, that the promiſe of par…on and ſalvation was theirs, as much as any ones; …hat Chriſt and heaven did belong to them, as much … to any other; that their Right and Title, is as good … any ones; this could not but be welcome news …o them. And if this were Goſpel light, I wonder …ow it is poſſible that Sinners ſhould hate the light. …ndeed I connot conceive how one that loves his …uſts, ſhould not love ſuch preaching. But alas what is it, but to ſow pillows under mens arm-hole… This is to ſtrengthen the hands of the wicked, th… he ſhould not return from his wicked way, by pr… miſing him life. This is to propheſie peace, but ſo … the falſe prophets were wont to doe. This is … ſmooth way indeed, but ſuch as leadeth into th… broad way. Take heed of it. This is not buildi… ſouls towards heaven, but rather to hell, to lay foundation for ſecurity and preſumption. I would fear to lay principles of deſpair or preſumption either. As I durſt not but encourage the greate… Sinner amongſt you to leave your ſins; but ſay, … the Apoſtle, Act. 3.19. Repent, and be converte… that your ſins may be blotted out: So I durſt not … courage any of you to live in ſin, as if ye might co… tinue in ſin, and yet hope that Gods aboundi… Grace would extend it ſelf to you in the pard… of your ſins. No, if ye live after the fleſh ye ſh… dye: but if through the Spirit, ye mortifie the dee… of the body ye ſhall live, Rom. 8.13.