Secondly, And as for Gods Covenant in specie, it is most certain, that God is his own end, and made and doth all things for himself. And therefore it were blasphemy to say that the Covenant of Grace were so free as to respect mans wants only, and not Gods Honour and Ends, yea or man before God. And therefore nothing is more certain then that both as to the ends, and mode of the Covenant, it principally respecteth the Honour of God. And this is it that man is most backward to though most obliged to. And therefore its apparent that this must be part, yea the principal part of the condition. Every man would have pardon and be saved from hell: God hath promised this which you would have, on condition you will yield to that which naturally you would not have. You would have Happiness; but God will have his preeminence; and therefore you shall have no Happiness but in him. You would have pardon: but God will have subjection, and Christ will have the honour of being the bountiful procurer of it, and will be your Lord, and Teacher, and Sanctifier as well as Ransom: If you will yield to one, you shall have the other. So that your Justification dependeth as much on your Taking Christ for your Lord and Master, as on your receiving Justification or consenting to be pardoned by him. Yea the very mode of your acceptance of Christ himself and the benefits offered you, (that you take them thankfully, lovingly, humbly, renouncing your own worth, &c.) are necessary parts of the condition of your pardon. There is as great a Necessity laid upon that part of the Condition which Christs honour lieth on, and that in order to your Justification, as of that part which directly respecteth your Salvation. And me thinks common reason and ingenuity should tell you that it must be so, and that its just and meet it should be so. And therefore ⟨p. 37⟩I may safely conclude ex natura rei, that the taking of Christ for our •eacher and Lord▪ is as truly a part of the condition of our Justification, and our Justification lieth as much upon it, as the Affiance in Christs sufferings.
Secondly, And as for Gods Covenant in specie, it is most certain, that God is his own end, and made and doth all things for himself. And therefore it were blasphemy to say that the Covenant of Grace were so free as to respect mans wants only, and not Gods Honor and Ends, yea or man before God. And therefore nothing is more certain then that both as to the ends, and mode of the Covenant, it principally respecteth the Honor of God. And this is it that man is most backward to though most obliged to. And therefore its apparent that this must be part, yea the principal part of the condition. Every man would have pardon and be saved from hell: God hath promised this which you would have, on condition you will yield to that which naturally you would not have. You would have Happiness; but God will have his preeminence; and therefore you shall have no Happiness but in him. You would have pardon: but God will have subjection, and Christ will have the honour of being the bountifull procurer of it, and will be your Lord, and Teacher, and Sanctifier as well as Ransom: If you will yield to one, you shall have the other. So that your Justification dependeth as much on your Taking Christ for your Lord and Master, as on your receiving Justification or consenting to be pardoned by him. Yea the very mode of your acceptance of Christ himself and the benefits offered you, (that you take them thankfully, lovingly, humbly, renouncing your own worth, &c.) are necessary parts of the condition of your pardon. There is as great a Necessity laid upon that part of the Condition which Christs honour lieth on, and that in order to your Justification, as of that part which directly respecteth your Salvation. And me thinks common reason and ingenuity should tell you that it must be so, and that its just and meet it should be so. And therefore ⟨p. 37⟩I may safely conclude ex natura rei, that the taking of Christ for our •eacher and Lord▪ is as truly a part of the condition of our Justification, and our Justification lieth as much upon it, as the Affiance in Christs sufferings.
