Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

2. His Goodness is seen in the Nature and Tenor of the new Covenant. There are in this richer Streams of Love and Pity. The language of one was, die if thou Sin; that of the other, live if thou believest^†: The old Covenant was founded upon the obedience of Man; the new is not founded upon the inconstancy of Mans Will, but the firmness of Divine Love, and the valuable Merit of Christ. The head of the first Covenant was Humane ⟨p. 630⟩and mutable; the head of the second is Divine and immutable. The Curse due to us by the breach of the first, is taken off by the indulgence of the second: ^*We are by it snatched from the Jaws of the Law, to be wrapped up in the bosom of Grace: ^†For you are not under the Law, but under Grace; from the Curse and condemnation of the Law, to the sweetness and forgiveness of Grace. Christ bore the one, being made a Curse for us, ^*that we might enjoy the sweetness of the other; By this we are brought from Mount Sinai, the Mount of Terror, to Mount Zion, the Mount of Sacrificing, the Type of the great Sacrifice^†: That Covenant brought in Death upon one offence, this Covenant offers Life after many offences^*: That involved us in a Curse, and this enricheth us with a Blessing: The breaches of that expelled us out of Paradise, and the embracing of this admits us into Heaven. This Covenant demands, and admits of that Repentance, whereof there was no mention in the first: That demanded Obedience, not Repentance upon a failure; and though the exercises of it had been never so deep in the fallen Creature, nothing of the Laws severity had been remitted by any virtue of it. Again, the first Covenant demanded exact Righteousness, but conveyed no cleansing virtue upon the contracting any filth. The first demands a continuance in the Righteousness conferred in Creation; the second imprints a gracious heart in Regeneration. I will pour clean Water upon you; I will put a new Spirit within you, was the voice of the second Covenant, not of the first. Again, as to Pardon: Adams Covenant was to punish him, not to pardon him if he fell; That threatened Death upon Transgression, this remits it; That was an Act of Divine Sovereignty declaring the will of God, this is an Act of Divine Grace, passing an Act of Oblivion on the Crimes of the Creature: That, as it demanded no Repentance upon a failure, so it promised no Mercy upon guilt: