Secondty, This being the nature, this the end of a covenant, there must be some gi'eat and important cause to change, alter, and abro- gate a covenant once made and established, — to lay aside one covenant and to enter into another. And yet this the apostle says expressly that God had done, Heb. viii. IS, and proves it, because himself calls that which he promised a new covenant: which undeniably confirms two things; — first, That the other was become old; and, secondly. That being become so, it was changed, altered, and removed. I know the apostle speaks immediately of the old administration of the covenant under the Old Testament of Mosaical institutions; but he doth so Avith reference unto that reviA^al Avhich in it Avas given to the first covenant made Avith Adam : for in the giving of the law, and the curse Avherewith it Avas accompanied, Avhich Avere immixed Avith that administration of the covenant, there Avas a solemn revival and representation of the first covenant and its sanction, Avhereby it had
472 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM OXXX. [Ver. 4.
life and power given it to keep the people in bondage all their days. And the end of the abolition, or taking away of the legal adminis- tration of the covenant, was merely to take out of God's dealing with his people all use and remembrance of the first covenant. As was said, therefore, to take away, disannul, and change a covenant so made, ratified, and established betwixt God and man, is a matter tliat must be resolved into some cogent, important, and indispensable cause. And this will the more evidently appear if we consider, —
1. In general, that the first covenant luas good, holy, righteous, and equal. It was such as became God to make, and was every way the happiness of the creature to accept of. We need no other argu- ment to prove it holy and good than this, that God made it. It was the effect of infinite holiness, wisdom, righteousness, goodness, and grace; and therefore in itseJf was it every way perfect, for so are all the works of God. Besides, it was such as man, when through his own fault he cannot obtain any good by it, and must perish everlast- ingly by virtue of the curse of it, yet cannot but subscribe unto its righteousness and holiness. The law was the rule of it ; therein is the tenor of it contained. Now, saith the apostle, " Whatever be- comes of the sin and the sinner, ' tlie laAV is holy, and the command- ment is holy, and just, and good,'" Rom. vii. 12; — holy in itself and its own nature, as being the order and constitution of the most holy God; just and equal with reference unto us, such as we have no reason to complain of, or repine against the authority of; and the terms of it are most righteous. And not only so, but it is good also; that which, notwithstanding the appearance of rigour and severity which it is accompanied withal, had in it an exceeding mixture of goodness and grace, both in the obedience constituted in it and the reward annexed unto it; as might be more fully manifested were that our present work.
2. In particular, [First], It was good, holy, and righteous in all the commands of it, in the obedience which it required.
And two things there were that rendered it exceeding righteous in reference unto its precepts or commands. First, That they were all suited unto the jn-inciples of the nature of man created by God, and in the regular acting whereof consisted his perfection. God in the first covenant required nothing of man, proscribed nothing unto him, but Avhat there was a principle for the doing and accomplishing of it ingrafted and implanted on his nature, which rendered all those commands equal, holy, and good; for what need any man complain of that which requires nothing of him but what he is from his own frame and principles inclined unto? Secondly, All the commands of it were proportionate unto the strength and ability of them to whom they were given. God in that covenant required nothing of any
Vci-.l.] EVIDENCE OF FORGIVENESS V7ITH GOD. 473
man but what he had before enabled him to perform, nothing above his strength or beyond his power ; and thence was it also righteous.
Secondly, It was exceeding good, holy, and righteous, upon the account of its promises and reivards. " Do this," saitli the cove- nant ; " this which thou art able to do, which the principles of thy nature are fitted for and inclined unto." Well, what shall be the issue thereof? Why, " Do this, and live." Life is promised unto obe- dience, and that such a life as, both for the present and future con- dition of the creature, was accompanied with every thing that was needful to make it blessed and happy. Yea, this life having in it the eternal enjoyment of God, God himself, as a reward, was exceed- ingly above whatever the obedience of man could require as due, or have any reason, on any other account but merely of the goodness of God, to expect.
3. There was provision in that covenant yb?' the preservation and manifestation of the glory of God, whatever was the event on the part of man. This was provided for in the wisdom and righteous- ness of God. Did man continue in his obedience, and fulfil the terms of the covenant, all things were laid in subserviency to the eternal glory of God in his reward. Herein would he for ever have manifested and exalted the glory of his holiness, power, faithfulness, righteousness, and goodness. As an almighty Creator and Preserver, as a faithful God and righteous Rewarder, would he have been glori- fied. On supposition, on the other side, that man by sin and rebel- lion should transgress the terms and tenor of this covenant, yet God had made provision that no detriment unto his glory should ensue thereon ; for by the constitution of a punishment proportionable in his justice unto that sin and demerit, he had provided that the glory of his holiness, righteousness, and veracity, in his threatenings, should be exalted, and that to all eternity. God would have lost no more glory and honour by the sin of man than by the sin of angels, which, in his infinite wisdom and righteousness, is become a great theatre of his eternal glory; for he is no less excellent in his great- ness and severity than in his goodness and power.