I told you in the answer to the former question that some Divines did distinguish of a threefold covenant: Answ. a covenant of Nature, a covenant of Grace, and a subservient covenant; which last was that which was made with the Jews in Sinai, contained in the Moral, Ceremonial, Judicial laws: a covenant which ⟨p. 167⟩though it stood upon opposite terms, yet had it's subservient ends to the covenant of grace. A covenant which God made with israel when they were to enter into Canaan, and had chiefly respect unto their good or evil in it. Wherein God promised blessings upon obedience, and threatened calamities and judgements on them if they disobeyed. As you see them at large annexed to it, in the 28. and the 29. Chapters of Deuteronomy. And all this by way of subserviency unto the covenant of grace, that when they saw they were neither able to obtain life, nor outward mercies; nor keep off death, and temporal evils, by their obedience to it, they might look out for the promise of grace, and long for the Messiah, and expect all these upon better grounds: And into this covenant they did all enter with God, and bound it with an oath, and a curse, as you see in Deut. 29.12.19. God for his part engaging himself to bless them in the Land of Canaan whither they went, if they obeyed his commands; and threatening to punish them there if they did not obey him. To all which they did subscribe, as you see there, and bound it with an oath and a curse. And therefore ⟨p. 168⟩some interpret those words, Do this and live, to have respect alone to their well-being in the Land of Canaan, and in this life. I have read a story of the Sadducees, who you know denied the resurrection, and consequently, I suppose, the immortality of the soul: they were men skilful in the law, and observant of it, though they held this great error: upon consideration of which, one demanding of them wherefore they kept the Commandments, seeing they denied the resurrection: they answered, That it might go well with them in this life; that they might inherit temporal blessings by obedience to it. I will not say that they served the end of the law in this, for certainly God gave the law for higher ends; But this, I may say, that it may be they served the end of it better then they that asked the question. It might be, they who asked the question, kept the law for justification:
I told you in the answer to the former question that some Divines did distinguish of a threefold covenant: Answ. a covenant of Nature, a covenant of Grace, and a subservient covenant; which last was that which was made with the Iewes in Sinai, contained in the Morall, Ceremoniall, Iudiciall laws: a covenant which ⟨p. 167⟩though it stood upon opposite tearmes, yet had it's subservient ends to the covenant of grace. A covenant which God made with israel when they were to enter into Canaan, and had chiefly respect unto their good or evill in it. Wherein God promised blessings upon obedience, and threatened calamities and judgements on them if they disobeyed. As you see them at large annexed to it, in the 28. and the 29. Chapters of Deuteronomie. And all this by way of subserviencie unto the covenant of grace, that when they saw they were neither able to obtaine life, nor outward mercies; nor keepe off death, and temporall evils, by their obedience to it, they might look out for the promise of grace, and long for the Messiah, and expect all these upon better grounds: And into this covenant they did all enter with God, and bound it with an oath, and a curse, as you see in Deut. 29.12.19. God for his part ingaging himselfe to blesse them in the Land of Canaan whither they went, if they obeyed his commands; and threatning to punish them there if they did not obey him. To all which they did subscribe, as you see there, and bound it with an oath and a curse. And therefore ⟨p. 168⟩some interpret those words, Doe this and live, to have respect alone to their well-being in the Land of Canaan, and in this life. I have read a story of the Sadduces, who you know denyed the resurrection, and consequently, I suppose, the immortalitie of the soule: they were men skilfull in the law, and observant of it, though they held this great error: upon consideration of which, one demanding of them wherefore they kept the Commandements, seeing they denied the resurrection: they answered, That it might goe well with them in this life; that they might inherit temporall blessings by obedience to it. I wil not say that they served the end of the law in this, for certainly God gave the law for higher ends; But this, I may say, that it may be they served the end of it better then they that asked the question. It might be, they who asked the questiō, kept the law for iustification:
