^ Gal. iii. 10. Not only the covenant of grace, but the covenant of works also, is an eternal covenant; and therefore the curse of the covenant remains upon men unto eternity. There is an eternal obligation upon the creature, he being bound to God by an eternal law ; and the transgression of that law carries with it an eternal guilt, which eternal guilt brings sinners under an eternal curse.
THE COVENANT OF GRACE PROVED AND OPENED. 305
covenant for life, ceaseth unto believers, yet it stands in force against all unbelievers.
Now, oh how sad is it for a man to be under a covenant of works ! For,^
First, The covenant of works, in the nature of it, requires perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience, under pain of the curse and death, according to that of the apostle, ' As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse,' Gal. iii. 10 — presupposing man's fall, and, consequently, his inability to keep it — ' For it is written. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them,' Deut. xxvii. 26. The covenant of works, therefore, affords no mercy to the transgressors of it, but inflicts death and curse for the least delinquency : ' For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all,' James ii. 10. The whole law is but one copulative ; he that breaketh one command- ment habitually, breaketh all. A dispensatory conscience keeps not any commandment. When the disposition of the heart is qualified to break every command, then a man breaks every command in the account of God. Every one sin contains virtually all sin in it. He that dares contemn the lawgiver in any one command, he dares con- temn the lawgiver in every command. He that allows himself in any one known sin, in any course, way, or trade of sin, he lays him- self under that curse which is threatened against the transgressors of the law.
They that are under this covenant of works must of necessity perish. The case stands thus : Adam did break this covenant, and so brought the curse of it both upon himself and all his seed to the end of the world ; in his sin all men sinned, Eom. v. 12. Now if we consider all men as involved in the first transgression of the covenant, they must all needs perish without a Saviour. This is the miserable condition that all mortals are in that are under a covenant of works. But,
Secondly, Such as are under a covenant of works, their best and choicest duties are rejected and abhorred, for the least miscarriages or blemishes that do attend them or cleave to them. Observe the dreadful language of that covenant- of works, ' Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the law of God to do them,' Gal. iii. 10. Hence it is that the best duties of all unregenerate persons are loathed and abhorred by God ; as you may clearly see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together.i The most glorious duties and the most splendid performances of those that are under a covenant of works, are loathsome to God, for the least mistake that doth accompany them. The covenant of works deals with men according to the exactest terms of strict justice. It doth not make nor allow any favourable or gracious interpretation as the. covenant of grace doth ; the very least failure exposes the soul to wrath, to great wrath, to everlasting wrath. This covenant is not a covenant of mercy, but of pure justice. But,
Thirdly, This covenant admits of no mediator. There was no daysman betwixt God and man, none to stand between them, neither was there any need of a mediator ; for God and man were at no dis- ^ Isa. i. 11-15 ; Jer. vi. 20; Isa, Ixvi. 3; Amos v. 21; Micah vi. 6; Mai. i. 10.
306 THE COVENANT OF GRACE PROVED AND OPENED.
tance, at no variance, l Man was then righteous, perfectly righteous Now the proper work of a mediator is to make peace and reconcilia- tion between God and us. At the first, in the state of innocency there was peace and friendship between God and man, there was no enmity m God's heart towards man, nor no enmity in man's heart towards God : but upon the fall a breach and separation was made between God and man ; so that man flies from God, and hides from God and trembles at the voice of God, Gen. iii. 8-10. Fallen man is' now turned rebel, and is become a desperate enemy to God ; j-ea his heart 18 full of enmity against God. ' The wisdom of the flesh 'is enmity against God,' Kom. viii. 7 ; not an ' enemy,' as the Vulgar Latin read- eth.it, but 'enmity,' m the abstract; noting an excess of enmity as when we see a proud man, we say, There goes pride, so here is enmity 2 i^othingcan be said more; for an 'enemy' may be reconciled but enmity can never; a vicious man may become virtuous, but 'vice cannot. Ihere are natural antipathies between some creatures as between the hon and the cock, the elephant and the boar, the ca'mel and the horse, the eagle and the dragon, &c. But what are all these antipathies to that antipathy and enmity that is in the hearts of all carnal men agamst God ? Now whilst men stand under a covenant of works, there is none to interpose by way of mediation, but fallen man lies open to the wrath of God, and to all the curses that are written in this book. When breaches are made between God and man, under the covenant of grace, there is a mediator to interpose and to make up all such breaches ; but under the covenant of works there IS no mediator to interpose between God and fiillen man. These three things 1 have hinted a little at, on purpose to work my reader if under a covenant of works, to be restless till he be got from under that cove- nant, into the covenant of grace, where alone lies man's safety felicitv happiness, and comfort. Now this consideration leads me by the hand to tell you, "^
2. Secondly, That there is a covenant of grace, that all believers, alt sincere Christians, all real saints are under; for under these two covenants all mankind fall. The apostle calls this covenant of grace the aw of faith ' Rom. iii. 17. Now, first, this covenant of grace is sometimes styled an 'everlasting covenant:' Isa. Iv. 3 'And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of JJavid You need not question my security, in respect of the great tilings that 1 have propounded and promised in my word for the en- couragement of your faith and hope ; for I will give you my bond for all 1 have spoken, which shall be as surely made good to you as the mercies that I have performed to my servant David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Ihe word everlasting hath two acceptations; it doth denote (1) Sometimes a long duration ; in which respect the old covenant clothed with figures and ceremonies, is called everlasting, because it was to endure, and did endure, a long time, Ps. cv 9, 10 ; (2.) Sometimes it denotes a perpetual duration, a duration which shall last for ever, Heb. xiii. 20, &c. In this respect the covenant of grace is everlasting ; it