The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

2. Being and dominion over the creatures is of undeserved goodness. Who looks to a borrowed body and a borrowed soul,¹ yea and to self, and to that which is called I, as to a thing that is freely gifted? So that though thou be in an high opinion of self, self is self, and what it is, from God. And when thou rides, whence is it that I am the rider, and the wearied horse the carrier, but from God? 3. The Covenant of Works it self, that God out of Sovereignty does not command, is undeserved condescending; that God bargains for hire, do this and live, whereas he may bide a Sovereign Law-giver and charge and command us, is overcoming goodness. Law is honeyed with love, and hire; it is mercy that for our penny of obedience,² so rich a wage as communion with God is given. 4. The influences to acts of obedience, come under a twofold consideration. 1. As congruous and suitable concurrences of God to Adams acts of obedience: And so they were free gifts to Adam not promised, as we shall hear in the New Covenant. 2. As such influences by which the standing Elect Angels (who ⟨p. 36⟩were under this Covenant as well as Adam) were differenced from the Angels that fell,³ and were confirmed that they should not fall, in this latter respect. Absolute Sovereignty shines in Adams fall, so if a Sparrow cannot stir its wing without God, Mat. 10.29. nor a hair fall from our head, ver. 30. far less could Adam fall, and all his, without a singular providence; And far less could Adam go on and act without influences from God. And if strong Adam and upright, created in holiness, could not then stand his alone; Shall our clay legs now under the fall bear us up? What Godly trembling is required in us?⁴ 5. The gift of Prophecy, Gen. 2.23. seems to be freely given, besides the Image of God, and Adams knowledge,