SERM. whether they will enter into any such EnIII. gagements or no: neither of which is true

with refepect to Man. For Man is under eternal Obligations to obey and honour his Maker (which is one great Condition of the Covenant of Grace) and was never at liberty, even before GOD was pleafed to enter into Covenant with him, whether he would do fo or not (b). So that there is fome Foundation for an Objection against calling the Covenant of Grace a proper Covenant: But to call it an unconditional Covenant is really a Contradiction in Terms, and is as much as to fay, that it is a Covenant, and it is not a Covenant at the fame time.

2. The Ground or Reafon on which the forementioned Objection is built, and which hath betrayed those that make it into this Contradiction, is altogether vain.

"A Condition always implies a Power, "in the Perfon upon whom it is laid, to

perform it."It is very true; for GoD would never require of any of his Creatures fuch Conditions, as they have no Power to comply with. But then that Power is from himself: when he requires a Condition, he offers

(b) See How's Works, Vol. 2. page 211.

III.

offers them fufficient Strength to perform it; SER M. which of themselves they have not; and which without him they never would have. How is this then attributing too much to Man? when it attributes nothing at all to him. And how is it derogatory to the Honour and Efficacy of Divine Grace; when it attributes all the Power to that? and indeed it greatly magnifies it.

Hence then it is very evident that the Covenant of Grace hath Conditions in it, as every Covenant has and must have: and as evident that the reason for which fome have been led to deny this, is altogether vain and groundless. What those Conditions are— by what Strength we are to perform themand in what manner-I fhall more particularly fhew you, GOD willing, hereafter. But I fhall now proceed to another Subject of Enquiry, viz.

3. Since there never were but two Covenants which GOD made with Man, viz. a Covenant of Works and a Covenant of Grace, what was that Covenant then under which the Jews lived, which feems to be distinct from them both?

SERM.

III.

Now it is certain, that fince the Fall of the firft Man, whereby he violated the Covenant of Works, and derived a weak and depraved nature to all the human Race, no one could be faved by virtue of that Covenant; mankind being rendered altogether unable to come up to the Terms required in it. And fince it is as certain, that there were many good Men, under the Jewish Difpenfation, that were faved, it must follow that they were faved upon the tenor of the Covenant of Grace. Hence then (and from what hath been before advanced) we must conclude that the Covenant under which the Jews lived was the Covenant of Grace.

And this is what the Apoftle plainly intimates to us when he fays, that to them was the Gofpel preached as well as to us (i), that is, it was preached unto them darkly, under the Types and Shadows of their ceremonial Law; and more clearly by the Mouth of their Prophets. "Chrift (as "Mr. Charnock obferves) was the End, the

Spirit, the Life of their Sacrifices. The "Paffover, Rock, Manna, &c. were the Swaddling-bands wherein he was wrapped: "they

(i) Heb. iv. 2.

they eat of the fame fpiritual Meat, and SERM. "drank of the fame Spiritual Drink; the "Rock which followed them was Chrift (k). "They had Chrift (as it were) in his Infan

cy, we in his full Age: they had him "under the obfcure Vail of Lambs, Bul"locks, Goats; we have him in his Perfon: "they had the Sun under a Cloud; we the "Sun at Noon-day in its Glory."

But befides this there was another Covenant which the Jews were under as God's chosen and distinguished People, selected and fet apart for himself, from the rest of the World: which is fometimes called a Covenant of Peculiarity, wherein they had a Promife made to them of long Life, temporal Peace, and earthly Profperity, on condition of their Obedience to the ceremonial Law. And the Circumcifion of their Flefh was the Sign or Seal of this Covenant. This was called the old Covenant; which was to be annulled, or done away by Christ. Accordingly, all the Types and Ceremonies of the Jewish Worfhip were abolished when be came to whom they pointed as the Shadows give way to the Subftance.

(k) 1 Cor. x. 3, 4.

Now

SERM.

Now the grand Mistake, the general Error, III. and fatal stumbling-block of the Jews was,

that they expected to be juftified by the tenor of this Covenant, or by their conformity to the law of Ceremonies, and not by the tenor of that new Covenant, which they lived under as well as we, that is, by the free Mercy of GOD in a way of fincere, inward and vital Holiness.

In a Word, the Jews were under two Laws; the moral and ceremonial: but they mistook the Defign of both. They were both defigned to lead them to Chrift. But instead of attending to this the original Defign and End of them, they regarded them both in another view; viz. as the Foundation of their Juftification, and therefore fought to establish their own Righteousness thereby and looked for Acceptance with GOD and Eternal Life purely by vertue of their Obedience to thefe Laws. But finding the moral Law too fevere and strict to be complyed with in all it's Terms, they therefore debased, relaxed and lowered it by their corrupt Gloffes and Traditions, till they had reduced it to the ftandard of their own vain and carnal Minds. And this our Sayiour