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

But Christ undertook from eternity for the fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace, and bestowing salvation upon them for whom he is Surety: for it is he who makes the new Covenant, Jer. 31.31, 32, 33, 34. Heb. 8.10, 11.

3. There is a twofold consideration of Gods will: One is called his approving, commanding, and forbidding will, ¹when God reveals to us what is our obligation and duty, and what is morally ⟨p. 342⟩good, and to be done, because he commands it, and what is morally evil, and to be eschewed, because he forbids it. Now whether this good or evil shall come to pass, or never come to pass, it is all one, as to the nature of the approving will of God, for though the repenting of Cain, and saving faith of the traitor Judas never came to pass, yet it is the duty of the one and the other to repent and believe, and the Lord commands and approves their obedience as good, though he never decreed by his good pleasure, that the obedience of Cain and Judas should come to pass. But his will of pleasure, his discerning will, or his counsel, purpose, or decree, is his pleasure, and appointment of things, not as good and evil, or as agreeable unto, or repugnant, and contrary to an equal and just command of God, but of things as they come to pass, or shall never come to pass. Hence, in a permissive decree, God appointed the crucifying of the Lord of Life, the not breaking of a bone of Christ, but he did never will the crucifying of his Son, but forbids and hates it as execrable murder; as touching his approving will: in a word, his commanding will is of things lawful or unlawful, what we who are under a Law, ought to do, or not to do▪ His will of pleasure is of things fixed and resolved upon, what he purposes, good or evil, shall come to pass, or not come to pass: And by the way we may make good use of the foul sins that fall out; for holy and clean is that hand and counsel of the Lord,