IV.] THE COVENANT OF GRACE. 221
heart and spirit, the writing of the law in their hearts, and (which is all one) the quickening of the dead, the opening of blind eyes, the begetting of us anew, as they relate unto God, do signify no more but his administration of means, whereby men may be wrought upon and persuaded to bring their hearts and spirits into such a condition as is described in those expressions, to quicken themselves, to open their blind eyes, etc., Mr Goodwin shall scarce be able to evince.
(2.) Conversion and jyardon of sin being both in this promise of the covenant (I take in also that place of the same importance, chap. xxxi. 33, 34), and relating alike to the grace of God, if conversion, or the giving of a new heart, be done only by administering outward means and persuasions unto men to make them new hearts, the forgiveness of sins must also be supposed to be tendered unto them upon the condition that their sins be forgiven, as conversion is on condition they be converted, or do convert themselves.
(3.) This promise being by the prophet and apostle insisted on as containing the grace whereby, eminently and peculiarly, the new covenant is distinguished from that which was abolished, if the grace mentioned therein be only the laying a powerful and strong obligation on men to duty and obedience, upon the account of the gracious and bountiful dealing of God with them, both as to their temporal and spiritual condition, I desire to know wherein the differ- ence of it from the old covenant, as to the collation of grace, doth consist, and Avhether ever God made a covenant with man wherein he did not put sufficient obligations of this kind upon him unto obe- dience; and if so, what are the "better promises" of the new cove- nant, and what eminent and singular things as to the bestowing of grace are in it; which things here are emj)hatically expressed to the uttermost.
(4.) The scope of this exposition (which looks but to one part of the promise about bestowing of grace, overlooking the main end and intendment of it, as hath been showed) being to darken the words of the Holy Ghost, so far as to make them represent a contributio7i of means instead of an effectual working the end and the event, on wliich the means supplied have an influence of persuasion to prevail with men to do the things they are afforded them for, I desire to know. First, What new thing is here promised to them which exceeded that mentioned chap. xxv. 4, 5, wherein the Lord testifies that he had granted them formerly a large supply of outward means (and especially of the word) for the end here spoken of Secondly, To what end and on what account is this administration of means for a work expressed by terms of a real efficiency in reference to the work itself; which, proceeding from the intendment of God for the event aimed at, must needs produce it. And, thirdly, Why these words should not be of the same importance with the associate expression,
222 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' TERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
Avliicli of necessity must he interpreted of an actual and absolute effi- ciency, Jer, xxxii. 41, 42. And fourthly. Whether the administration of outward sufficient means for the producing of an event can be a ground of an infallible prediction of that event? as God here abso- lutely saith, " They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them," chap. xxxi. 84 ; — which how it is brought about, the Holy Ghost acquaints us, Isa. liv. 18, "All thy children shall be taught of the LoRD ;" and John vi. 45, " It is written in the pro- ]ihets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." But Mr Goodwin hath sundry reasons to confirm his gloss, which must also be considered ; and he saith, —
1. " That it is the familiar dialect of Scripture to ascribe the doing of things or effects themselves to him that ministers occasions or proper and likely means for the doing of them. So God is said to give them one heart and one way, to put his fear into their hearts, when he administers motives, means, occasions, and opportunities to them, which are proper to work them to such a frame and disposi- tion of heart, out of which men are wont to love and obey him, whether they be ever actually brought thereunto or no ; and this promise was fidfilled to the people after their return out of captivity, in the mercies they enjoyed and the preaching of the prophets."
Ans. We are not now to be informed that this is Mr Goodwin's doctrine concerning conversion, — 1. That God doth only administer means, motives, and opportunities for it, but that man thereupon converts himself; and, 2. That when God hath done all he will or can, that the event may not follow, nor the work be wrought : but that this sense, by any means or opportunities, can be fastened on the promise under consideration, we are not as yet so well in- structed. When God once intendetb an end, and expresseth himself so to do, promising to work really and efficiently for the accom- plishing of it, yea, that he will actually do it, by that efficiency preventing all interpositions whatever that may tend to frustrate his design, that that end of his shall not be accomplished, or that that working of his is only an administration of means, whereby men may do the things intended if they will, or may do otherwise (he affirm- ing that he will do them himself), is a doctrine beyond my reach and capacity. His saying that " in this sense the promise was fulfilled to the people after the captivity," is a saying against his own light. He hath told us not long since that it could not be a promise of those things which were enjoyed before it was ever given, as in our sense they did the gi-ace of perseverance, etc. Surely the means he mentioneth (until at least the coming of Christ in the flesh) were advanced to a far higher pitch and eminency on all hands before the captivity than after; and at the coming of Christ