God in his Soveraignty set a punishment upon the breach of this his Commandement, that man might know his inferiority, and Gen. 2.16. that things betwixt him and God were not as between equals. The fubject of this Covenant is man intire and perfect, made after the Image of God in Righteoufneffe and true holineffe, furni fhed not only with a reasonable foule and faculties befeeming, but with divine qualities breathed from the whole Trinity, infufed into the whole man, lifting up every faculty and power above his first frame, and inabling and fitting him to obey the will of God intirely, willingly, exactly,for matter and measure. Whether this was naturall or fupernaturall unto the first man, is a queftion needleffe to be difputed in this place,and peradventure if the termes be rightly understood, will be no great controverfie. Only this must be acknowledged, that this was Adams excellencie above all the creatures, and that in the fallen creature this quality is fuperna turall. Unto this mutuall Covenant God added a feale to affure the protoplaft of his performance and perfifting in Covenant with him, and further to strengthen his obedience, with the obedience of his pofterity, which upon his breach with God was made void. This Covenant of works made with Adam thould have been the fame unto his whole pofterity, if he had continued; as in all after Covenants of God, they are made with Head and Root, reaching unto all the branches and members iffuing from them, Rom.5.17. 1 Cor. 15.22,47. The proportion holding in Abraham to Chrift, till the Covenant be rejected in after commers. But this Covenant was fo made with Adam the root of all mankind, that if tranfgreffed, his whole pofterity fhould be liable to the curfe temporall and eternall, which entred upon his fall. This Covenant. was a Covenant of friendship not of reconciliation; being once broken it could not be repaired; it promifed no mercy or pardon, admitted no repentance, accepted no obedience, but what was perfect and compleat. If Adam had a thought after his breach, that he might have healed the matter, it was but vaine prefumption, and leaft he should rely upon a vaine confidence in eating of the tree of life, God drove him out of the Garden. But this Covenant was not peremptory, not the last nor unchangeable. Woe to all the pofterity of Adam, if God fhould deale with them ac cording to the fentence here denounced. When man had plunged himselfe into mifery, it pleafed the Lord to reveale his abundant. C 2 Grace Quest.1. Quest.2. Grace in the Covenant of Grace, of which hereafter.. The end of this Covenant is the demonstration of Gods wifedome, bounty, goodneffe and juftice, both rewarding and punishing and it made way for the manifeftation of his rich grace and abundant free mercy brought to light in the fecond Covenant. Three queftions may be moved here not unprofitable, nor impertinent. 1. Why in the Covenant of nature (as it is called) God doth not expreffely require Faith, but Obedience and Love. And the answer is, That only by confequent Faith is required, and not expreffely in this Covenant, because there was not the leaft probable cause or fufpition why man should doubt of Gods love, for finne had not as yet entred into the world: but in the Covenant of Grace it was contrary, for that is made with a confcience terrified with finne, which could be raised up by none other meanes, but by the free Promife of mercy, and Faith imbracing the Word of Promife, freely and faithfully tendered, and to be received by faith only. Againe, in this Covenant is confidered, what in exact justice man doth owe unto God: (but he oweth juftice and Sanctity :) .but in the Covenant of Grace what God reconciled to man in his Sonne,would offer, and that is bountifully offered. 2. How that Faith, which prefuppofeth exact juftice in the Covenant of Nature, differs from that Faith which is required in the Covenant of Grace ? Anfw. Faith, which the exact righteoufneffe of man in the Covenant of Nature,doth prefuppofe, agreeth with faith which is required in the Covenant of Grace in this, that both are of God, both is a perfwafion concerning the love of God, both begetteth in man mutuall love of Gud,becaufe if faith abounds,love abounds; languishing, it languifheth; and being extinct,it is extinguished. But they differ firft in the Foundation. For Faith which the Righteoufneffe of nature prefuppofeth, leaneth on the title of intire nature, and therefore after the fall of Adam it hath no place; for although God love the creatures in themselves, yet he hates them corrupted with finne. No man therefore can perfwade himfelfe, that he is beloved of God in the title of a creature; (for all have finned) nor love God as he ought.But the Faith, of whichthere is mention in the Covenant of Grace, doth leane upon the Promife made in Chrift. Secondly, when both are of God, yet that that faith which exact righteoufneffe prefuppofeth is of God (as they speake in Schooles) per modum natura: But the Faith required in the Covenant of Grace, is of God, but per modum gratia fupernaturalis. Thirdly,the righteoufnefle, which the faith of nature begetteth was changeable; because the faith whence it did flow, did depend upon a changeable Principle of nature: But the SanAity, which the Faith of the Covenant of Grace begetteth, is eternall and unchangeable, because it comes from an eternall and unchangeable beginning, the Spirit of Grace. But if the Faith and Holineffe of Adam was changeable, how could he be fecure,or free from diftracting feares; the answer is, the mind of Adam, which was wholly fixed, and fet in the admiration and sense of Gods goodneffe, could not admit of fuch, thoughts; fuch cogitations could not creep into it. Object. 3. Whether the Covenant of works ftand on foot in the pofte Quest.. rity of Adam, though not in refpect of life and happineffe, yet in refpect of the things of this life? To this fome anfwer affirmatively,because many of them, from fome remainders of the forementioned abilities, did many good things for the good of bodies politicke wherein they lived. Rom, 2.13,14,15,16, which God retributes with good things in this life, to fome more, to fome leffe, but to all fome. And it cannot be denied ; but fome remainders of Gods Image or notions of good and evill, are to be found amongst the Heathen: and that these things, in them who lived without the pale of the Church, have been increafed by culture of nature under Difcipline, by Arts and Exercises, and might receive improvement by vicinity to the Church; from which they might learne fome things to enrich them in this trade: And that God hath beftowed many and great bleffings upon them pertaining to this life: But it may be queftioned, whether these things come from the compact of workes, or be gifts of bounty and Gods righteous adminiftration, for a time refpiting the fentence denounced against man for breach of Covenant, and vouch fafing unto him fome temporall good things for the ufe and benefit of humane Society. Yea, it may be worthy confideration, Whether these things be not granted unto them in Jefus Chrift, according to the Covenant of Grace, which was made upon the very fall :by whom not only the Elect, but the whole frame of nature received benefit. In the Creation God raised up a great. Family,, €3 wherein wherein he made Adam the head, and all his pofterity inhabitors, the frame of Heaven and Earth his domicile, the creatures his fervants, this Family upon the fall was broken up, the present Master turned out of his imployments, the children beggered, the fervants returning to God their Soveraigne, and the whole frame of the creature under attainder. God thus defeated, (if I may fo fpeake) fets up a fecond Family, called the Family of Heaven and Earth, wherein Jefus Chrift, the womans feed, Gen. 3. 15. is the Head, Matth.28.18. Ephef.1.22. Col.1.19,20. itiled the fecond Adam, Lord of all things in Heaven and Earth,and that with more foveraignty and amplitude of injoyment then ever the firft Adam bad; the whole creature being put under bis feet. The children of this Family are the faithfull, who be the adopted Brethren, Rom.8.15.fometimes called the feed. The fervants be the wicked, and those of two forts, either fuch as attend in the Church, neerer about Chrifts perfon, or further off, as in farme-houses for bafer offices. The creatures, by a fecond ordinance from their former Mafter free,areftated upon Chrift,though they beare fome brands of evill from the finne of their former Mafter: the domicile, though not fo beautifull, returnes to Chrift. So the Covenant of Grace,entring upon the breaking up of the former Family, invefteth Chrift with all as purchafer of the loft creature from revenging juftice, and as Lord of all things in Heaven and Earth, who freely conferreth the heavenly inheritance upon the adopted fonnes and brethren, and vouchsafeth earthly bleffings, and fome fpirituall common gifts to the wicked, which may be called fervants, both thofe that more neerly attend his perfon, and thofe that be further off. But of this more hereafter. CHAP. III. of the Covenant of Grace in generall. He Covenant of Grace is that free and gracious Covenant, which God,of his meere mercy in Jefus Chrift, made with man a miferable and wretched finner, promifing unto him pardon of finne and eternall happineffe, if he will return from his iniquity, embrace mercy reached forth by faith unfained, and walke be fore fore God in fincere, faithfull and willing obedience, as becomes fuch a creature lifted up unto fuch injoyment, and pattaker of fuch pretious promifes. This Covenant is oppofite to the former in kind, fo that at one and the fame time, man cannot be under the Covenant of workes and the Covenant of grace. For he cannot. hope to be juftified by his perfect and exact obedience, that acknowledging himfelfe to be a miferable and loft finner, doth expect pardon of the free mercy of God in Iefus Chrift embraced by faith. The condition of the Law as it was given to Adam, excludes the neceffity of mercy reaching to the pardon of finne : and the neceffity of making a new Covenant, argues the former could not give life, Heb.8.7. He that is under grace, cannot at the fame time be under the law: and he that waites for Salvation of meere and rich grace to be vouchfafed, cannot expect it as the deferved wages of his good worke from juftice, and not of mercy. What then may fome fay, is the Law abolished, or is it lawfull for Christians to live as they lift, because they be not under the Law? Not fo: but the Law hath a double respect : one as the unchangeable rule of life and manners, according to which perfons in Covenant ought to walke before and with the Lord, and in this fenfe it belongs to the Covenant of grace. The other, as it is propounded in forme of a Covenant, as if he maft necefficily perish, who doth neglect or breake it in the leaft jot or tittle, and in this fenfe the Covenant of grace and workes are oppofite. The matter of Evangelicall precepts and of the Morall Law is the fame, but the forme of promulgation is not the fame : the rule is one, but the Covenants difer. Materialy the Law, that is, the matter and argument of the Law, as a rule, ftands in force: but if formally it did continue as a Covenant, there could be no place for repentance, nor for the promife of forgiveneff, or mer cy reaching to the pardon of finne, or the quickning of them that be dead in trefpaffes. The Covenant of workes is of juftice, the Covenant of grace is of grace and mercy, which cannot agree and take place in one and the fame fubject: for he that tryeth juftice, perceiveth not the force of mercy, &è contra. This might be common to both Covenants, that God doth freely give reward, because he was not bound unto it by any Law, and that is done of grace, which we are not tied unto by Law: but in the Covenant of |