A77360:285
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Sermons › Sermon 3: The New Covenant of Grace opened. SERMON III.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This I say then, it is a free Covenant, in opposition to all conditions to be performed by us; for when the Covenant of Grace is mentioned in Scripture, where do you find any condition annexed to any thing that is there promised? — saith the Lord, I will remember your sins no more: — Upon what condition? — none mentioned; — I will write my Law in your hearts; — Upon what condition? — none mentioned; — You shall all know me from the greatest to the least, &c. — Upon what condition? none mentioned. Where do you ever find the Covenant mentioned with a condition?
And plainly thus; if there were a Condition, the Condition must be a distinct thing from the thing promised. If I promise to go a journey with a man upon Condition he shall bear my charges; his bearing my charges, and my going the journey are distinct things. — Now what Condition then can there be? What Faith, Repentance or Obedience? Why? these are all promised in the Covenant, therefore they cannot be the Condition; for the thing promised in the Covenant, and the Condition that we are to perform, must be distinct. I say, if there be a Condition, it must be distinct from the thing promised; but there is nothing that we can perform, ⟨p. 70⟩but is promised in the Covenant; therefore there can be no Condition. The Prophet Isaiah tells us, that this Covenant is after the nature of that Covenant that God made with Noah, That the World should be drowned no more; and that i• absolute, and upon no Condition. Junius thinks, that upon this account, this Covenant of Grace i• called a Testament, for saith he, a Testament is without Condition. A man makes his last Will and Testament; and though now and then a man may hang a Condition upon a Rebellious Child, yet ordinarily, a man then gives, and he gives freely, without all Conditions; and so this Covenant is called a Testament: Why? because no Condition is to be performed by us. That is the second thing, it is a free Covenant in opposition to all Conditions to be performed by our selves.