The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being…

3. What is the way in which men may come to have pardon and felicity?

A. Mans blessedness consists in his enjoying of Gods favour, and fellowship with him: Now there have been two ways in which men have been pointed to this, one displayed in the Covenant of Works, and the other in the Covenant of Grace.

1. The old way of the Covenant of works was laid out to man in his primitive state: He then stood entirely in Gods favour; he had no Guilt upon him that needed a pardon; had the glorious Image of God imprinted upon him, which fitted him for Communion with his Maker. God then gave him a Law suited to his nature, and not exceeding his created abilities, in conformity to which he was to be happy for ever; had he not declined from this, there had needed no other; but he turned out of it by Apostasy, and so fell under Guilt and a Curse, and now the Law could no longer give him life, Gal. 3. 21. That way is for ever shut up, the Tree of Life is guarded against him with Cherubim and a Flaming Sword: he is a man of death, and unless that Curse be taken off, he can never be happy, for which there was no provision in that way: though the Law could afford man happiness, it could not give him salvation.

1. The old way of the Covenant of works was laid out to man in his primitive state: He then stood entirely in Gods favour; he had no Guilt upon him that needed a pardon; had the glorious Image of God imprinted upon him, which sitted him for Communion with his Maker. God then gave him a Law suited to his nature, and not exceeding his created abilities, in conformity to which he was to be happy for ever; had he not declined from this, there had needed no other; but he turned out of it by Apostasy, and so fell under Guilt and a Curse, and now the Law could no longer give him life,