Goodwill Towards Men, Part 2 · Section 7
Mark 1.15.
Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.
Sect. 7.
PROP. VII. The Condition of the Covenant of Grace is not performed by God or by Christ for us; but by us; (the Lord enabling us.)
SOme that will not hear of the Covenant of Grace having any Condition, yet that they may not be thought enemies to faith, repentance, new obedience, would fain salve the matter thus, Mr. Patient, Dist. of Covenants. p. 30, 31.It is a Covenant without all condition required in the creature, but what God himself performeth.
Now though I freely grant no man would perform the condition of the Covenant of Grace, without special grace and help from God; yet to say, It is without all condition, but what God himself performeth, is a rash, unsound assertion. For,
First, It is self-contradiction. It is to say the Covenant is absolute, and not absolute; without all condition, and not without all condition required in the creature.
Secondly, It is indeed blasphemous to say that God doth believe in us, repent in us, obey in us. He giveth the grace & ability, but it is man that performeth the Act. He giveth his people that special help, whereby they come to believe, repent, obey. But it is one thing for God to enable us to perform the condition, and another to perform it himself. It is below the Majesty of God to perform the condition for us; as it is above us, quite above our strength, to perform it without him.
Thirdly, If there be no condition required in the creature, but what God performeth, then the Covenant should run thus, I the Lord do promise remission and salvation unto you, upon this condition that I give you an heart to believe and repent, upon condition that I perform this in, and for you. Thus God should require the condition of himself not of us. Which is most absurd.
Fourthly, Thus men should not deserve to suffer for non-performance of the condition; it being that which God is to perform, and otherwise not required in, or of the creature. If the Covenant lieth wholly on Gods part, then how are men punishable for not keeping Covenant? This is evident, that such as have the Gospel preached to them, and do not come up to the Terms of the new Covenant, (do not believe, and repent,) they not onelyonly deprive themselves of the life and happiness there promised, but also incurre the penalty threatned. Now will God punish any for unbelief, when faith was not required of them; or not required, till the Lord performed it in them? If that position I am disproving, were true, the Gospel should never threaten condemnation for unbelief. Where God performeth this for any, that they believe, they are freed from condemnation upon that account; and as for others, who have not this performed in them, it is not required of them, God requiring no more than he performeth. By this time I hope you are sensible, that it a dangerous assertion, to say, God requireth nothing in the Covenant of Grace, but what he performeth.
And so it is as false to say, that the condition of this Covenant is performed by Christ.
It is enough for us (says one) to believe that Christ hath repented for us, Saltmarsh.believed for us.
But it is not required of Christ, but of us sinners, to repent, and believe. Jesus Christ was made under the Law, and kept it to a tittle, fulfilled all righteousness, he performed the condition of the first Covenant. The Covenant of Works, which Adam brake, Christ fulfil'd. But he was not under the Gospel, nor was he concerned to perform the condition of the Covenant of Grace, but onelyonly to see that his people the heirs of salvation do perform it.
To advise souls that doubt of their Gospel sincerity, to see it in Christ (as Mr. Saltmarsh does) to see it in Christ, who hath obeyed perfectly, is miserably to confound the conditions of the two Covenants, which ought to be most carefully distinguished. And it implieth thus much, as if such were troubled about what doth not at all concern them. Why should any trouble themselves about the condition of the Covenant of Grace, to find it in themselves, if Christ hath performed the same for them? As if souls should disquiet themselves, that they cannot see how they can satisfie Gods justice for their sins, when Christ hath done that, and it is not expected from them. If Christ hath performed the condition of the Covenant of Grace for us, then it belongeth not to us to perform it. It is done already to our hand. And we should not presume to take Christs work out of his hand.
And if Christ fulfilled the conditions of both Covenants for us, then it followeth, that even as he made us without us, so he saveth us without us; contrary to Phil. 2.12. So likewise it followeth, that all for whom Christ hath satisfied (whether they were all mankind, or all the Elect) are immediately justified, actually discharged from all sin, and condemnation, immediately interested in the benefits and blessings of the Covenant of Grace, in a state of salvation, as soon as ever they are in being; there being nothing required to their interest in the same, but what Christ hath done for them. So it follows, that such were never children of wrath, but alwaies in a state of reconciliation with God, contrary to Eph. 2.3. And so again, that we are not justified by faith: but before faith, and without it, contrary to Rom. 5.1. And then, what should hinder, but that men may be justified and saved, who never do believe, contrary to Mark 16.16. He that believeth not shall be damned. But that the condition of the covenant of Grace is not performed by Christ, but by us, appears from that Proposition cleared and proved before, That the Covenant of Grace is not betwixt God and Christ, but betwixt God and us, or betwixt Christ and us.