Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shown the connection…Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shewn the connexion…

3. God having pleased to deal with Man, in the Gospel, in a way of Grace. Hence, though He do command him as a Sovereign, yet he mixeth Grace in all His Commands, so that there is no command which is enjoined us in the Gospel which brings not its benefit ⟨p. 34⟩along with it. Or there is no command in the Gospel which comes to us under the Title of mere Sovereignty, but also carries with it the sweetness of a Promise, as well as the rigour of a threatening. We may observe that the quality of a condition is not only put upon Faith, as, Mark, 16.16. but upon Obedience too, Heb. 12.•4. Rom. 8.13. That command in the Gospel which if a Man do perform, he hath assurance of Life in his performance, but if he do not perform, he is certified of Death and Damnation by the neglect of it, and all this according to the proposition of the Gospel-Covenant, that must carry the respect of a condition; but such is Gospel-Obedience, as the Scriptures forecited, and many more do evidence, or we may take it thus: All that which God propounds in the Gospel as needful to be performed by us; yea, so needful, as eternal Life, and Death are infallibly consequent thereupon; yea, and are referrible thereto, is of the condition of the Gospel-Covenant, and that is Faith and Obedience: separate Obedience, and you have a Faith which is vain, Jam. 2.•4. and which may be found in Devils, vers. 19.

3. God having pleased to deal with Man, in the Gospell, in a way of Grace. Hence, though He do command him as a Soveraign, yet he mixeth Grace in all His Commands, so that there is no command which is enjoyned us in the Gospell which brings not its benefit ⟨p. 34⟩along with it. Or there is no command in the Gospell which comes to us under the Title of meer Soveraignty, but also carryes with it the sweetness of a Promise, as well as the rigour of a threatning. We may observe that the quality of a condition is not only put upon Faith, as, Mark, 16.16. but upon Obedience too, Heb. 12.•4. Rom. 8.13. That command in the Gospell which if a Man do perform, he hath assurance of Life in his performance, but if he do not perform, he is certified of Death and Damnation by the neglect of it, and all this according to the proposition of the Gospell-Covenant, that must carry the respect of a condition; but such is Gospel-Obedience, as the Scriptures forecited, and many more do evidence, or we may take it thus: All that which God propounds in the Gospel as needfull to be performed by us; yea, so needfull, as eternall Life, and Death are infallibly consequent thereupon; yea, and are referrible thereto, is of the condition of the Gospel-Covenant, and that is Faith and Obedience: separate Obedience, and you have a Faith which is vain, Jam. 2.•4. and which may be found in Devils, vers. 19.

4. Whereas Faith is sometimes asserted to be the only Condition required of us in the New-Covenant, it is thus to be understood, viz. Either,

1. That Faith is the only Condition of our Justification, but not so of our Salvation. It is a Condition of our Salvation too, but not only: the Right and Title to Salvation is conferred in Believing, but there is Obedience also requisite in the way to Salvation, Tit. 3.8.

3. Faith may be said to be the only Condition as it is a comprehensive Grace: Both

1 As it is that whereby we lay hold upon Christ, and close with the Promise in Him, and so come to be actually subjects of it according to rhe tenor of it in the Covenant.

2. As it is the Spring and Life of New-Obedience, i. e. such a Faith whose Nature is to work by Love; and hence we find that the whole Spiritual Life of a Christian is called the Life of Faith, Heb. 10.38. Gal. 2.20. It is not an idle, or dead, but a lively and working Faith: for indeed it is the Faith that mixeth with the duty of a Christian that only puts a worth upon it in Gods account, the want of which ingredient renders the most specious duties of Men of no value, Heb. 11.6.

Quest. But it may then be enquired whither Obedience be not rather a Promise made to Faith, than a Condition required of us in the New-Covenant? Since Christ hath Promised in the Gospel, that he that believes shall be saved, and if so, then (by necessary consequence) he that Promiseth the end, Promiseth also the means, i. e. All that which is requisite to bring us to Salvation, and there Obedience may properly take its place.

Quest. But it may then be enquired whither Obedience be not rather a Promise made to Faith, than a Condition required of us in the New-Covenant? Since Christ hath Promised in the Gospell, that he that believes shall be saved, and if so, then (by necessary consequence) he that Promiseth the end, Promiseth also the means, i. e. All that which is requisite to bring us to Salvation, and there Obedience may properly take its place.

Ans. In satisfaction to this inquiry these things are well to be weighed.

1. We must distinguish between a Promise made by God as one Party in the Covenant, and one made by Christ, standing in the place of a Mediator interposing between both Parties: ¹Jesus Christ stands as a Mediating, Surety on both sides: He makes Promises to His Father, that all that He requires of us shall be done: And He makes Promises likewise unto us, that all our Works shall be wrought in us and for us: He is a Surety for both Conditions, and consequents of the Covenant; now the Surety represents the Person for whom He is such, and therefore the Person is in Him engaged; for in that respect He stands on that Party, there being but two in a Covenant: If then a Surety Promise for us that we shall do thus or so, and that withal Promise to us that He will do the same thing in and for us if we will rely on Him for it; this doth not change the Nature of it from being a debt on our Parts; for though Christ hath promised us that He will do it in us, yet God still looks that it shall be done by us.

1. We must distinguish between a Promise made by God as one Party in the Covenant, and one made by Christ, standing in the place of a Mediator interposing between both Parties: ¹Jesus Christ stands as a Mediating, Surety on both sides: He makes Promises to His Father, that all that He requires of us shall be done: And He makes Promises likewise unto us, that all our Works shall be wrought in us and for us: He is a Surety for both Conditions, and consequents of the Covenant; now the Surety represents the Person for whom He is such, and therefore the Person is in Him engaged; for in that respect He stands on that Party, there being but two in a Covenant: If then a Surety Promise for us that we shall do thus or so, and that withall Promise to us that He will do the same thing in and for us if we will rely on Him for it; this doth not change the Nature of it from being a debt on our Parts; for though Christ hath promised us that He will do it in us, yet God still looks that it shall be done by us.

1. 1Mr. Stone's Catechis. Manuscript.

2. We are to distinguish between that which we stand positively engaged to, and that which God affords us to be our encouragement in standing to our engagement: We stand engaged actually to serve God, to obey all His Commands: But of our selves we cannot do it, Josh. 24.19. Now to relieve our impotency, and animate our Obedience, Christ engageth to us, that if we will believe in Him, we shall serve God, viz. That He will put His fear in our hearts, that we shall not depart away from Him; He will give Grace. This is the excellency of the Covenant of Grace, that it requires nothing of us, but withal discovers to, and sets before us what, and where our help is for the performance of it, which Grace is then highly abused when we think our selves thereby acquitted from our duties; Paul was of another mind, and therefore frames an argument to ⟨p. 37⟩excite us to greater diligence, from this very consideration, Phil. 2.12, 13.

2. We are to distinguish between that which we stand positively engaged to, and that which God affords us to be our encouragement in standing to our engagement: We stand engaged actually to serve God, to obey all His Commands: But of our selves we cannot do it, Josh. 24.19. Now to relieve our impotency, and animate our Obedience, Christ engageth to us, that if we will believe in Him, we shall serve God, viz. That He will put His fear in our hearts, that we shall not depart away from Him; He will give Grace. This is the excellency of the Covenant of Grace, that it requires nothing of us, but withall discovers to, and sets before us what, and where our help is for the performance of it, which Grace is then highly abused when we think our selves thereby acquitted from our duties; Paul was of another mind, and therefore frames an argument to ⟨p. 37⟩excite us to greater diligence, from this very consideration, Phil. 2.12, 13.

3. It is to be observed that Christ's suretyship engageth Him to two sorts of Works: There are some which He is to do Personally and alone; such are all those things which He did for us in performing all that was required in the Covenant of Redemption: He alone made satisfaction to Divine Justice, and paid th• Price of our Ransom, fulfilling all Righteousness. B•• ••ere are other Works which He becomes engaged to work in us, as the efficient, which yet are to be done by us, by the strength of His Grace: That we are to do something if we would inherit Eternal Life, is the Language of all Gospel-precepts; Hence, we stand engaged in the Gospel-Covenant to the performance of them: But God had no reason to trust us, being all liars, and having proved false in one Covenant already: it was therefore needful that Christ should engage for us: Now these Works He doth not alone, but as He is the Head of the Church, and all influences into it, which flow from Him into the Body, these Works He performs by His Members. These Works being required in the Covenant of Reconciliation, where Christ Mystical, i. e. Christ and His Church are the Party engaging; hence they fail not to be of the Condition, though required at His Hands as the Head of it.

3. It is to be observed that Christ's suretiship engageth Him to two sorts of Works: There are some which He is to do Personally and alone; such are all those things which He did for us in performing all that was required in the Covenant of Redemption: He alone made satisfaction to Divine Justice, and pai'd th• Price of our Ransome, fulfilling all Righteousness. B•• ••ere are other Works which He becomes engaged to worke in us, as the efficient, which yet are to be done by us, by the strength of His Grace: That we are to do something if we would inherit Eternall Life, is the Language of all Gospel-precepts; Hence, we stand engaged in the Gospell-Covenant to the performance of them: But God had no reason to trust us, being all lyars, and having proved false in one Covenant already: it was therefore needfull that Christ should engage for us: Now these Works He doth not alone, but as He is the Head of the Church, and all influences into it, which flow from Him into the Body, these Works He performes by His Members. These Works being required in the Covenant of Reconciliation, where Christ Mysticall, i. e. Christ and His Church are the Party engaging; hence they fail not to be of the Condition, though required at His Hands as the Head of it.

4. It is to be considered, that in the Act of Believing, the Soul doth not only give it self up to Christ as the high Priest of his Reconciliation, but also as his Prophet, and his King, to be taught and to be ruled by Him, as one that knows he hath not skill or power to order and direct his own ways? And this is properly that Obedience of Faith which Jesus Christ (when He receives the Believer into this Relation) undertakes to maintain and carry on in him. The Soul by Believing makes it sure that Christ shall be his Helper, to supply him with all ⟨p. 38⟩that Grace whereby he may do all that which the Covenant requires of him: Hence, though we have Security from Christ to help us, yet this engagement of His takes not a way the quality of a Condition from our duty: Only shows us whither we must go, and where our dependence must be, if ever we hope to live as God's Covenant-People, who of our selves can do nothing.

4. It is to be considered, that in the Act of Believing, the Soul doth not only give it self up to Christ as the high Priest of his Reconciliation, but also as his Prophet, and his King, to be taught and to be ruled by Him, as one that knows he hath not skill or power to order and direct his own wayes? And this is properly that Obedience of Faith which Jesus Christ (when He receives the Beleever into this Relation) undertakes to maintain and carry on in him. The Soul by Believing makes it sure that Christ shall be his Helper, to supply him with all ⟨p. 38⟩that Grace whereby he may do all that which the Covenant requires of him: Hence, though we have Security from Christ to help us, yet this engagement of His takes not a way the quality of a Condition from our duty: Only shewes us whither we must go, and where our de•pendance must be, if ever we hope to live as God's Covenant-People, who of our selve• can do nothing.

If any shall (this notwithstanding) think it more fit and proper to call this Obedience, rather a Covenant-Command, than a Condition, I shall not be eager to dispute of terms, provided this one thing be granted, which cannot without opposing the truth be denied, viz. That it is a part of the Gospel-way, necessary to Salvation (i. e. Necessitate Praecepti & medii) beside, or beyond which interpretation, I do not understand or urge the notion of a Condition in the Gospel-Covenant.

If any shall (this notwithstanding) think it more fit and proper to call this Obedience, rather a Covenant-Command, than a Condition, I shall not be eager to dispute of terms, provided this one thing be granted, which cannot without opposing the truth be denyed, viz. That it is a part of the Gospell-way, necessary to Salvation (i. e. Necessitate Praecepti & medii) beside, or beyond which interpretation, I do not understand or urge the notion of a Condition in the Gospell-Covenant.

And now having discovered the Conditions propounded and required in this Covenant, the question under consideration, viz. What it is to keep Covenant is easily hence answered: To keep Covenant is in general to perform that Obligation we stand in to it; for Man to keep Covenant with God, is for him to perform the conditions of his Covenant. In particular, let us observe that our present discourse refers to the visible dispensation of the Covenant, and our so being related to it, as it stands propounded on God's Part, and at least outwardly acknowledged and submitted to on our Part: The conditions then are all those things which the Gospel calls for at our hands, or prescribes to us as necessary to Salvation: and then to keep Covenant, is,

And now having discovered the Conditions propounded and required in this Covenant, the question under consideration, viz. VVhat it is to keep Covenant is easily hence answered: To keep Covenant is in generall to perform that Obligation we stand in to it; for Man to keep Covenant with God, is for him to performe the conditions of his Covenant. In particular, let us observe that our present discourse referrs to the visible dispensation of the Covenant, and our so being related to it, as it stands propounded on God's Part, and at least outwardly acknowledged and submitted to on our Part: The conditions then are all those things which the Gospel calls for at our hands, or prescribes to us as necessary to Salvation: and then to keep Covenant, is,

1. To believe in Jesus Christ for Life, i. e. for Grace and Glory: to go out of our selves to Him for all, and rely on, or place our hope and trust in Him alone: This every Member and Child of the Visible Church doth ⟨p. 39⟩stand bound or engaged unto, and that upon no less or lower considerations than Salvation and Damnation, Mark, 16.16. In which believing they choose God alone for their Portion, Jesus Christ for their only Redeeming-Mediator, the Spirit for their only sanctifying Leader: They renounce all other vain trust and confidence: They say, Ashur shall not save us, they cast their Idols to Moles and to the Bats. They rest not upon the Works of their own hands, nor hope to receive any thing at the Hands of God for their own sakes: They seek the Glory of God, and give to Him the Honour and Praise due to His Name, they go to Him for all they want, they acknowledge His Mercy and Grace in all they receive, &c. The truth is, it is a large and vast condition to believe, and it is a certain and undeniable truth, that every one in the Visible Church is a Covenant-breaker till he believes, i. e. he falls short of his engagement.

1. To believe in Jesus Christ for Life, i. e. for Grace and Glory: to go out of our selves to Him for all, and rely on, or place our hope and trust in Him alone: This every Member and Child of the Visible Church doth ⟨p. 39⟩stand bound or engaged unto, and that upon no lesse or lower considerations than Salvation and Damnation, Mark, 16.16. In which believing they chuse God alone for their Portion, Jesus Christ for their only Redeeming-Mediator, the Spirit for their only sanctifying Leader: They renounce all other vain trust and confidence: They say, Ashur shall not save us, they cast their Idols to Moles and to the Bats. They rest not upon the Works of their own hands, nor hope to receive any thing at the Hands of God for their own sakes: They seek the Glory of God, and give to Him the Honour and Praise due to His Name, they go to Him for all they want, they acknowledge His Mercy and Grace in all they receive, &c. The truth is, it is a large and vast condition to believe, and it is a certain and undeniable truth, that every one in the Visible Church is a Covenant-breaker till he believes, i. e. he falls short of his engagement.