A Golden Chain

Object. III. Our works merit by bargain or covenant, because God hath promised to reward them. Ans. The word of God sets down two covenants: one legal, the other evangelical. In the legal covenant life everlasting is promised to works, for that is the condition of the law; do these things & thou shalt live. But on this manner can no man merit life everlasting, because none is able to do all that the law requires; whether we respect the manner, or the measure of obedience. In the evangelical covenant, the promises that are made are not made to any work or virtue in man, but to the worker: not for any merit of his own person or work, but for the person and merit of Christ. For example, it is a promise of the Gospel, Be faithful unto ⟨p. 944⟩death, and I will give thee the crown of life. Revelat. 2.10. Here the promise is not made to the virtue of fidelity, but to the faithful person; whose fidelity is but a token that he is in Christ: for the merit of whose obedience God promiseth the crown of life: and therefore Christ saith further, I come quickly and will give to every man according to his works: mark, he saith not to the work, or for the work; but to the worker according to his works. And thus the bond of all other promises of the Gospel, in which God willingly binds himself to reward our works, do not directly concern us, but have respect to the person, and obedience of Christ, for whose sake alone God binds himself as debtor unto us, and gives the recompense or reward, according to the measure of our faith testified by our works. And therefore it cannot be truly gathered, that works do merit by any promise or covenant, passed on Gods part to man. Some may say, if works merit not why are they mentioned in the promises? I answer, not because they merit, but because they are tokens that the doer of the work is in Christ, for whose merit the promise shall be accomplished.

Obiect. III. Our works merit by bargaine or couenant, because God hath promised to reward them. Ans. The word of God sets downe two couenants: one legall, the other euangelical. In the legall couenant life euerlasting is promised to workes, for that is the condition of the law; doe these things & thou shalt liue. But on this manner can no man merit life euerlasting, because none is able to doe all that the law requires; whether we respect the manner, or the measure of obedience. In the euangelicall couenant, the promises that are made are not made to any worke or vertue in man, but to the worker: not for any merit of his owne person or worke, but for the person and merit of Christ. For example, it is a promise of the Gospell, Be faithfull vnto