CHAP. VII.

Of Gods Covenant.

1. The distance between God and the Creature is so great, that although reasonable Creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of Life, but by some ¹¹⁸¹¹⁸Luk. 17.10. Job 35.7.8.voluntary condescension on Gods part, which he hath been pleased to express, by way of Covenant.

2. Moreover Man having brought himself ¹¹⁹¹¹⁹ Gen. 2.17. Gal. 3.10. Rom. 3.20,21.under the curse of the Law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto Sinners, ¹²⁰¹²⁰Rom. 8.3. Mark 16.15.16. Joh. 3.16.Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them Faith in him, that they may be saved; and ¹²¹¹²¹ Ezek. 36.26,27. Joh. 6.44 45. Ps. 110.3.promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal Life, his holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.

3. This Covenant is revealed in the Gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of Salvation by the ¹²²¹²² Gen. 3.15.seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, untill the full ¹²³¹²³Heb. 1.1.discovery thereof was compleated in the new Testament; and it is founded in that ¹²⁴¹²⁴2 Tim. 1.9. Tit. 1.2.Eternal Covenant transaction, that was between the Father and the Son, about the Redemption of the Elect; and it is alone by the Grace of this Covenant, that all of the posterity of fallen Adam, that ever were ¹²⁵¹²⁵ Heb. 11.6.13. Rom. 4.1,2, &c. Act. 4.12. Joh. 8.56.saved, did obtain life and a blessed immortality; Man being now utterly uncapable of acceptance with God upon those terms, on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.