See Jer. 23.7. ceive me: which negation properly refpects the degrees. Job.5.45. There is one that accufeth you, even Mofes, that is, Mofes primarily and efpecially, Gen.45.8. God fent me hither: when God and his brethren had done it, but in a divers manner. ・of the Covenant God made with man in Thath pleased God to deale with the reasonable creature, by Iway of Profile and reftipulation, that is by way of Covenant: In which God himfelfe is one partie covenanting and promifing, and the whole reasonable creature, the other reftipulating and obeying. The thing holden out by God is eternall life with all immediate bleffings, the condition on the part of the reasonable creature is free, ready and willing obedience, whether from nature or grace. The caufes why God made choice to deale with the reafonat le creature in this manner are principally three. First,that the creature might know what to expect from the Creator, into what state foever caft. Secondly, that the fame creature might alwayes recognize, and acknowledge what to retribute. Thirdly, Such manner of dealing fuites beft with the nature of the reasona ble creature, and his fubordination to the Almighty. But paffing by what might be spoken of the Covenant with reasonable creatures, both men and Angels: we will only confider what Covenant God hath made with mankind, because the knowledge thereof doth in fpeciall manner concerne us, and in the unfolding thereof the Scripture is moft plentifull. We reade not the word Covenant betwixt God and man, ever fince the Creation, both in Innocency, and under the fall: but we have in Scripture what may amount to as much. As in Innocency God provided and propofed to Adam, eternall happinefle in the prefent injoyments, and cals for perfect obedience: which appeares from Gods threatning, Gen.2.17. For if man mult die if he difobeyed, it implies ftrongly that Gods Covenant was with him for life, if he obeyed. And after the fall, it is moft evident, God was pleafed to hold this course with man,in all ages and conditions, but with fome altera tions, as feemed beft in his infinite wifedome, and beft fitted the prefent condition of the creature. In this manner hath God afforded both the prime and fecondary good unto man under Covenants and feales, that he might have the greater affurance, fo long as he walked in obedience: and herein God was pleased to condefcend to mans weakneffe, and for the confirmation of his. faith to adde Seales to his Covenants, in all times to bind the bargaine. The Covenant in generall may be defcribed, a mutuall compact or agreement betwixt God and man, whereby God promifeth all good things, fpecially eternall happineffe unto man, upon juft, equall and favourable conditions, and man doth promife to walk before God in all acceptable,free and willing obedience, expecting all good from God, and happineffe in God, according to his Promife, for the praife and glory of his great Name. The Author of the Covenant is God, not God and man, for God doth enter into Covenant with man, not as his equall, but as his Soveraigne, and man is bound to accept of the conditions offered by the Lord. There can be no fuch equality of power and authority betwixt God and the creature, as that he fhould indent with the most High, but he must accept what the Lord is wellpleafed to offer and command. The Covenant is of God, and that of his free grace and love: for although in fome Covenant the good covenanted be promifed in justice, and given in justice for our workes: yet it was of grace that God was pleafed to bind himselfe to his creature, and above the defert of the creature: and though the reward be of justice, it is alfo of favour. For after perfect obedience performed according to the will of God, it had been no injuftice in God, as he made the creature of nothing, fo to have brought him unto nothing: it was then of grace that he was pleased to make that promise, and of the fame grace his hap pineffe fhould have been continued. The partees covenanting are God and man: for God promifeth unto man upon condition, and man promiseth unto God what he requireth. In respect of Gods promise the Covenant is called his: but in refpect of the conditions, it may be called mans. God promiseth freely to re compence the good of obedience, which is already due, and might be exacted without promife of reward; man promifeth to pay that debt of duty, which he oweth unto the Lord, in refpect of the manifold relations, wherein he stands obliged unto him. The forme To will and to nill the fame things is the fure bond of all amity and friendship. Now because the communi. on betwixt God and us is of infinite dif. paritie,there fore his will is and our obedi. a Law to us, ence is true dove to him. forme of the Covenant ftands in a Promife and reftipulation, wherein the Lord, though he might have required the whole debt of obedience, without promife of reward, in refpect of the good things already beftowed upon the creature, yet to the end that man might yeeld cheerfull and free obedience, he first bound himselfe to reward the obedience of man, before he bound man unto him in obedience. The Subject of this Covenant in generall is man not differenced by fpeciall refpects: for as the Law was given, fo the Gofpell is revealed to man. Man in this or that speciall confideration is the fubje&t of the Covenant, as it is divided for kinds, or altered for circumstances,and degrees: but man is the subject of the Covenant without fuch particular confiderations. The Lord having refpe&t to the mutability and weakneff: of mans nature, was plec fed, as to try his obedience by Symbolicall precepts, fo to evidence the affurance of his faithfull promife by outward feales: but when the creature fhall grow to at folute perfection and unchangeableneffe, fuch fymbolicall precepts and outward feales fhall ceafe as needleffe. The good promised is eternall blessednesss with all good things that doe accompany it, or belong thereunto: the good required is obedience to the just and righteous Commandement of God, which he as our Soveraigne Lord doth claime and call for, according as he fhall prefcribe and appoint. The end thereof is the glory of God, viz, the praife of his wifedome, justice and bountie. And in all these things the Covenants how foever divided in kinds, or varied in degrees and circumftances, doe fweetly confent and agree. But feeing the Covenant is not one, but manifold, both in kinds and degrees, we must diftinguish it, and weigh more diligently what doth agree to every kind, and wherein they agree, and wherein they differ one from another. Some diftinguifh thus, the Covenant is either of Nature, or of Grace, or fubfervient to both, which is called the Old Testa ment. Others thus, the Covenant is Legall or Evangelicall, of works, or of grace. The Covenant of workes, wherein God covenanteth with man to give him eternall life upon condition of perfe& obedience in his owne perfon. The Covenant of Grace, which God maketh with man promifing eternall life upon condition of beleeving. And this diftinction is one for fubftance with the former: and with that which may be taken from the fpeciall fpeciall confideration of the fubject with whom it was made, feil, the Covenant made with Adam in the ftate of Innocencie, or with man after the Fall. We reade not in Scripture, the Co venant of works, or of grace totidem fyllabis: the neerest we come to it is Rom.3.27. the Law of works oppofed to the Law of faith; which holds out as much as the Covenant of workes,and the Covenant of Grace. For there the Apoftle is difputing about justification, and by confequent eternall Salvation, which is Gods part to give under a Covenant. But of this hereafter. The Covenant which God made with our firft parents, is that mutuall contract or agreement, wherein God promifed eternall happineffe to man upon condition of intire and perfect obedience to be performed in his owne perfon. The Author of this Covenant was God his Creator and Soveraigne, who had beftowed many and great bleffings upon man, furnished him with excellent abilities, and enriched him with fingular priviledges. This Covenant God made in Juftice; yet fo as it was of Grace likewife to make fuch a free promife, and to beftow fo great things upon man for his obedience. God did in ftrict juftice require obedience, promife a reward, and threaten punishment: but yet as bountifull and gratious unto his creature, intire and perfect, if he should fo continue. God did in justice proportion the reward and the worke, the weight of the bleffing promifed, and the work of obedience required: but yet I cannot thinke it had been injustice in God to have given leffe, or not to have continued fo great things to man, fo long as he continued his obedience: No, God was pleafed to manifeft his goodneffe to man continuing in obedience, no leffe then his juftice, as formerly in creation he had fhewed himselfe exceeding gratious to man,above other vifible and corporall creatures. This Covenant God made with man without a Mediatour: for there needed no middle perfon to bring man into favour and friendship with God, because man did beare the image of God, and had not offended: nor to procure acceptance to mans fervice, because it was pure and fpotleffe., God did love man being made after his Image: and promifed to accept of his obedience performed freely, willingly, intirely, according to his Commandement. The forme of this Covenant ftood in the speciall Promife of good to be received from juftice as a reward for his work, C Doc Luke 17. 10. Doe this and live: and the exact and rigid exaction of perfect obedience in his own perfon, without the leaft fpot or failing for matter or manner. The good that God promifed was in it kind a perfeat fyfteme of good, which was to be continued fo long as he continued obedient, which because it might be continued in the eye of creating power for ever, we call it happineffe,life,and everlafting happineffe. But upon a fuppofition of Adams perfifting in a state of obedience, to fay that God would have tranflated him to the ftate of glory in Heaven, is more then any just ground will warrant; because in Scripture there is no fuch promife. And if we must not prefume above what is written, we may fay, Adam fhould have continued in that bleffed eftate in which he was created, but as for his tranflation after fome number of yeares fpent on earth, we reade it not. In this state and condition Adams obedience (hould have been rewarded in justice, but he could not have merited that reward. Happineffe fhould have been conferied upon him, or continued unto him for his works, but they had not deferved the continuance thereof: for it is impoffible the creature fhould merit of the Creator, because when he hath done all that he can, he is an unprofitable servant, he hath done but his duty. The obedience that God required at his hands was partly naturall, to be regulated according to the Law engraven in his heart by the finger of God himfelte, confifting in the true, unfained and perfect love of God, and of his Neighbour for the Lords fake and partly Symbolicall, which stood in obedience to the Law given for his probation and triall, whether he would fubmit to the good pleasure of God in an act of it felte meerely indifferent, because he was fo commanded. Though God had put many abilities and honourable priviledges upon man, yet he remained his Soveraigne, which by an act of restraint, he was pleased to make man thus exalted to know, which he did by requiring and commanding his creature to abftain from one fruit in it felfe pleasant to the eye, and good for meat. This was mans Homage-penny, a thing before the command indifferent, unto which he had a naturall inclination, from which he was now to abstaine, becaufe God (who had before given to man as part of his patrimony, and not as reward of his obedience to this particular reftraint,liberty to eat of every tree of the Garden)here interpofed himfelfe and referved this as an Homage unto himself. God |