20 Of the Covenant made prefently after the Fall. Part I. thus Rom. 5.18,19. As by the Offence of One, Judgment Chap. 3. came upon All Men to Condemnation; even so by the Righteoufnels of One, the Free-gift came upon All Men unto Juftification of Life. For as by One Man's Difobedience, Many were made Sinners; fo by the Obedience of One, fhall Many be made Righteous, that is, as accord. ing to the First Covenant, for One or the Alone Sin of Adam, All Mankind were by the Divine Judgment condemn'd to Death; fo according to the Second Covenant, for the Alone Righteousness of Christ, namely his Obedience even unto the Death of the Crofs, shall All Mankind of the meer Grace or Favour of God be fo far juftify'd, as that they fhall not only be freed from the perpetual Dominion of Death, but alfo become Anew capable of enjoying that Free-gift of God, Eternal Life. For as according to the First Covenant, for the Difobedience of Adam Alone, Many, i. e. All his Pofterity, but Enoch, Elias, (and fome Few others, if there be Any others) were made Sinners, i. e. altho' by the Sin of Adam, they did not really and properly Sin themselves, yet they were dealt with as Sinners, fo far as to be fubjected to Death; fo according to the Second Covenant, for the Obedience of Christ Alone, Many, namely All the truly Faithfull, (i. e. who not only believe the Gospel, but also fincerely and with all their ftrength perform the Conditions therein requir'd) fhall be made Righteous, i. e. altho' by the Righteouf nefs of Chrift they themfelves do not become really, properly, and strictly or perfectly, and abfolutely Righteous, yet they fhall in the Laft Judgment be dealt with as if they were abfolutely or in all refpects Righteous and fo fhall be admitted into the Kingdom or Joys of Heaven. V. The Second Co From the forecited Paffages of St Paul it is Very venant of Grace clear, wherein confifts the Analogy or Likeness be fully remedy'd All the Evils deriv'd tween Adam as the Type, and Christ as the Anti-type. from Adam, in By the way alfo it may be obferv'd, What Accuracy to Come, but not St Paul ufes in the Choice of his Words, that to the in refpect of this Analogy of the Things might also answer the Antithefis of the Words. From the whole it may be eafily ga refpect of the Life prefent Life, and Why So. ther'd, 21 Part I. Of the Covenant made presently after the Fall. ther'd, that Mankind fuffer'd no Damage as to the Life to Come by the first Adam, which is Not repair'd or Chap. 3. fully made Good by the fecond Adam: I fay, in refpect to the Life to Come, because it is not to be deny'd, that it has feem'd Good to the Divine Wifdom, that the Second Covenant fhould not afford Remedy for all the Evils brought on us by Adam, in refpect either of the Temporal or Spiritual State of this prefent Life. Whence it is, that in refpect of the Temporal State of this prefent Life, Good Men as well as Bad are equally liable to Pain, Sicknefs, and even Death it felf; and in refpect of the Spiritual State of this Life, that the Belt of Men are not freed from those Natural Defects, which are Commonly, but not properly, (as has been fhewn Chap. 1. §. 5.) call'd Sins of Infirmity. It may well be thought, that the Wisdom of God was willing, that thefe Ails whether Corporal or Spiritual thould in some measure remain even in the Beft of Men, as long as they are here on Earth, that they might ferve as Brands fet on Human Nature, and perpetual Monuments of the First Sin, whereby Man might be admonifh'd to be Always mindful of that Original State of Integrity, from which he fell; and fo might behave himself more Humbly, and more Earnestly defire that most perfect Holiness as well as Happiness, which is referv'd for him in Heaven, as a Reward of his performing the Conditions requir'd by the New or Second Covenant. As to the State of the Life to come, not only All the Evils brought by Adam on his Pofterity in respect thereof were Fully remedy'd or remov'd by the Second Covenant in Chrift; but alfo (as St Paul exprefly afferts Rom. 5.15.) MUCH MORE the Grace of God, and the Gift by Grace, which is by one Man Fefus Chrift, has abounded unto Many; as fhall be fhewn in the End of the next Chapter, wherein 1 fhall proceed to speak next of the true Difference between the two Covenants of Eternal Life. CHAP. Part I. I. The Introduction. II. The Covenant Life, and fo a Co CHA P. IV. Of the true Difference between the two Covenants of Eternal Life, or between the First Covenant of Grace, and the Second call'd the Gofpel. N treating on this Subject, I fhall begin with fuch things, as the two Covenants of Eternal Life are commonly thought to differ in, but really do not differ. Wherefore, 1. Since the Covenant before the Fall, as well as That before the Fall, as made presently after the Fall, was a Covenant of Eterwell as That pre-nal Life; and fince Eternal Life is so tranfcendent a fently after the Fall, was a Co-Reward, that it infinitely exceeds the Merits of the most venant of Eterna! perfect Obedience that can be perform'd by any Creavenant of Grace. ture, and therefore can't properly or of ftrict Right be due to the most perfect Obedience, and confequently may truly be call'd the Free-gift of God to Man, in refpect of his State of Integrity, as well as of his Faln State: hence it follows, that the Firft as well as Second Covenant of Eternal Life may properly and defervedly be call'd a Covenant of Grace; and that in this refpect the one differs not from the other, but as to the dif ferent Degree of Grace, or fo far forth as the Second Covenant is more Gracious, or has more of Grace or Favour in it, than the Firft, as fhall be further taken notice of as we go on. III. Both Covenants ternal Life. 2. As according to the First Covenant of Grace, Man agree, in that was bound with all the Strength or Abilities of his NaGood Works were ture then Perfect, and withal affifted with the Divine or are requir'd in Both, as a Condi--Aid of the Holy Spirit, to perform Good WORKS, as tion to attain E-the Condition without which was Not to be obtain'd E-ternal Life in the State of Integrity: So in like manner according to the Second Covenant of Grace, Man is bound with all the Strength of his Faln Nature, but affifted with the Divine Aid of the Holy Spirit, to perform Good WORKS, as the Condition without which is Not to be obtain'd Eternal Life, even in this his Faln State. Hence Part I. Chap. 4. IV. Hence the Cove nant beforethe Fall Hence it appears that Thofe fpeak Improperly and Unwearily, who diftinguifh the Covenant before the Fall from That made prefently after the Fall, by calling the Former The Covenant of Works, and the Latter The Covenant of Grace. For it appears from what has is improperly call'd been faid, that Really and in an Analogous or like man- by fome the Covenant of Works, to ner, Each Covenant is a Covenant of Works as well as diftinguish it from Grace. Each is to be efteem'd a Covenant of Grace, the other Covebecause in Each is promis'd on God's part Eternal Life, pel. which is the Free-gift of God. And Each is to be efteem'd a Covenant of Works, because in Each are requir'd to be perform'd on Man's part Good Works, as the Condition without which is not to be obtain❜d the promised Reward of Eternal Life. A nant or the Go V. &ion, viz. Now this Improper Way of Speaking or Diftinction whence arole this juft afore mention'd, feems to have taken its Rife from improper Diftina Wrong Understanding of two Particulars, viz. the Works which St Paul all along excludes from Juftification, and the Law of Works mention'd by him, Rom. 3.27. For VI. which St Paul ex ftification. By the Works which St Paul excludes from Juftifi- Firft, from cation, those Writers, who call the Covenant before the Wrong Understand Fall, the Covenant of Works, understand Works of Alling of the works, Sorts, even Such as are perform'd by the Grace of the cludes from Jus Gofpel it felf, and fo by the Supernatural Aid of the Holy Spirit. For they fuppofe Fain Man to be justify'd by Faith Alone, i.e. as feparated from Works, or at least as confider'd precifively (as the School-men fpeak) from Works; and they feem to make the Difference of the two Covenants I am speaking of, to confift in This: viz. that according to the Covenant made in the State of Integrity, Man was to be juftify'd by Works Alone, or feparably from Faith: whereas on the contrary now in his Faln State, Man is to be justify'd by Faith Alone, i.e. at least confider'd precisively from Works; which, to speak more Plainly and Fully, is this, that in Juftification now under the Faln State of Man Faith Alone is confider'd, and Not Works. But Both Parts of the foremention❜d Opinion are Disagreeable to Truth. For As Part I. Chap. 4. VII. As to the First Part of this Opinion, viz. that Man in his State of Integrity was to be juftify'd by Works Alone, or feparately from Faith, This may Well be The first part of esteem'd directly Contrary to what St Paul fays, Hebr. this Error prov'd falfe, forafmuch II. 6. Without Faith it is impoffible to please him: for as Faith was Ne-be that comes to God, must believe that he is, and that cellary to Justification in Man's he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Now State of Integrity. Common Reason will teach, that this holds True in VIII. and the Righteous refpect of Man in his Unlaps'd as well as Laps'd State; and therefore that Faith was altogether Neceffary to the Juflification of Man, even in his Unlaps'd State as well as now in his Laps'd. Befides Eternal Life being the Free-gift of God, and fo to be given by him on What Conditions he pleas'd; hence it follows, that tho' Man by the bare Light of Natural Reafon might difcover, that there is a God, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him: yet the bare Light of Natural Reafon was Not fufficient to enable Man of Himfelf to difcover, that God would give Eternal Life as a Reward to fuch as fhould diligently feek him; much lefs What were the Conditions on which God would give Eternal Life. This was to be Known only by Revelation, or by God's acquainting Man, that he was Graciously pleas'd to give him Eternal Life on fuch and fuch Conditions. So that befides the Acts of Faith, whereby Man believes there is a God, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him; there were other Acts of Faith requilite to Man even in his State of Integrity, in order to his Justification or attaining Eternal Life, viz. that he fhould believe that God was Truth or could not Ly, and confequently that he would make Good his Promife of giving Eternal Life to fuch as perform'd the Conditions requir'd by him to that End. And this by the way is the Remarkable Difference tween the Righte-between the Righteoufnefs of Nature, and the Righteousoufness of Nature, ness of Faith. The Righteousness of Nature is That, nefs of Faith. which One can perform being taught of himself Only, without any Means of Revelation to inftruct him What he is to do; as alfo without any Supernatural Affiftance ΟΙ |