Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation

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.

3. As it is a free Covenant, in opposition to al• Conditions to be performed by us, so it is an everlasting Covenant, a Covenant of Salt that canno• be broken, which my Covenant they brake, saith God, speaking of the former Covenant; and saith he, in that place of Zech. I took my staff of Beauty, the Covenant, and brake it. God brake it, that is the former Covenant. But now this Covenant of Grace is an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, an everlasting Covenant that cannot be broken. And thus you see what kind of Covenant it is; It is a Covenant of Grace, in opposition to all works and worth in us; — a Free Covenant in opposition to all Conditions to be performed by us: — and an everlasting Covenant: Lo, this is the Covenant that is stricken with the Children of Men.