2. The Apostasy hath made man a debtor to Revenging Justice, for which his personal Obedience cannot satisfy. The Covenant of Works, under which man was at first placed, had not only in it, a promise of life made to perfect Obedience, but also a threatening of death denounced in case of Disobedience. We are therefore told, in Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death; it was due to man upon agreement, in case that he should transgress; and this Sanction of that Covenant was of equal force with the former, and God stands in Justice as much obliged to this as to that; accordingly the threatening ⟨p. 19⟩was delivered with the greatest asseveration, Gen 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. So that now the case is quite altered with the man, in regard of that Covenant, from what it was at the first: for, although the Relation of all men, whiles they remain in their natural estate, which they bear unto that Covenant, abides, and they are to be tried and judged according to the tenor of it, and as they come under this or that Sanction of it: yet the promise of life, as it was made on the Hypothesis of perfect obedience, doth not abide, nor is any longer to be used as an encouragement to fallen man. Once God said, This do, and live; but he doth not say so now; for the man is come short of this, being by sin fallen under the threatening, and is utterly lost as to the promise; so that not only is it in vain for him to think to do and live, in regard of that impotency which is fallen upon him, leaving him without strength; but upon the supposal that he could now henceforward do, as perfectly as Adam could before he lost his power, yet there is no life for him by that Covenant, Gal. 3.21. If there had been a law given which could have given life; (i. e. to fallen man) verily righteousness should have been by the Law. And the reason is, because a Curse is upon him for disobedience; and all his doing can never expiate it; it is but his present quit rent, and will not ⟨p. 20⟩make up former arrears; hence that advice, Luk. 17.10. When ye have done all those things that are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable Servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.
2. The Apostasy hath made man a debtor to Revenging Justice, for which his personal Obedience cannot satisfy. The Covenant of Works, under which man was at first placed, had not only in it, a promise of life made to perfect Obedience, but also a threatning of death denounced in case of Disobedience. We are therefore told, in Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death; it was due to man upon agreement, in case that he should transgress; and this Sanction of that Covenant was of equal force with the former, and God stands in Justice as much obliged to this as to that; accordingly the threatning ⟨p. 19⟩was delivered with the greatest asseveration, Gen 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dy. So that now the case is quite altered with the man, in regard of that Covenant, from what it was at the first: for, although the Relation of all men, whiles they remain in their natural estate, which they bear unto that Covenant, abides, and they are to be tried and judged according to the tenour of it, and as they come under this or that Sanction of it: yet the promise of life, as it was made on the Hypothesis of perfect obedience, doth not abide, nor is any longer to be used as an encouragement to fallen man. Once God said, This do, and live; but he doth not say so now; for the man is come short of this, being by sin fallen under the threatning, and is utterly lost as to the promise; so that not only is it in vain for him to think to do and live, in regard of that impotency which is fallen upon him, leaving him without strength; but upon the supposal that he could now henceforward do, as perfectly as Adam could before he lost his power, yet there is no life for him by that Covenant, Gal. 3.21. If there had been a law given which could have given life; (i. e. to fallen man) verily righteousness should have been by the Law. And the reason is, because a Curse is upon him for disobedince; and all his doing can never expiate it; it is but his present quit rent, and will not ⟨p. 20⟩make up former arrears; hence that advice, Luk. 17.10. When ye have done all those things that are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable Servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.
