covenant of Christ.* Therefore, if it had been the covenant of grace, he would have said; God did make this covenant with them; rather than that he did not.†

Nom. And do any of our godly and modern writers agree with you in this point?

Evan. Yea indeed, Polanus‡ saith, The covenant of works is that, in which God promiseth everlasting life unto a man, that in all respects performeth perfect obedience to the law of works, adding thereunto threatenings of eternal death, if he shall not perform perfect obedience thereunto. God made this covenant in the beginning with the first man Adam, whilst he was in the first estate of integrity; the same covenant God did repeat and make again by Moses with the people of Israel. And|| Dr. Preston saith, The covenant of works runs in these terms, "Do this and thou shalt live, and I will be thy God." This was the covenant which was made with Adam, and the covenant that is expressed by Moses in the moral law. And Mr.§ Pemble saith, by the covenant of works we understand, that we call in one word, the law, namely that means of bringing man to salvation, which is by perfect obedience unto the will of God: hereof there are also two several administrations. The first is, with Adam before his fall, when immortality and happiness was promised to man, and confirmed by an external symbol of the tree of life, upon condition that he continued obedient to God, as well in all other things, as in that particular commandment, of not eat

"But the covenant of the law (adds he) came after, as the apostle observeth, Gal. 3: 17. They had a greater benefit than their fathers: for though the law could not give them life, yet it was a schoolmaster unto them, i. e. to bring them unto Christ, Gal. 3: 21, 24." Ainsworth on Deut. 5: 3.

+ The transaction at Sinai or Horeb (for they are but one mountain) was a mixed dispensation: there was the promise or covenant of grace, and also of the law; the one a covenant to be believed, the other a covenant to be done: and thus the apostle states the difference between these two, Gal. 3: 12. "And the law is not of faith, but the man that DOETH them shall live in them." As to the former, viz. the covenant to be believed, it was given to their fathers, as well as to them. Of the latter, viz. the covenant to be done, Moses speaks expressly, Deut. 4: 12, 13. "The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire-and he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to PERFORM (or Do) even ten commandments." And chap.5: 3. he tells the people no less expressly, that "the Lord made not THIS COVENANT with their fathers." Subst. Relig. octav. Eng. pp. 184, 185. New cov. p. 317. § Vind. Fid. p. 152.

ing of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The second administration of this covenant, was the renewing thereof with the Israelites at mount Sinai; where, after the light of nature began to grow darker, and corruption had in time worn out the characters of religion and virtue first graven in man's heart;* God revived the law by a compendious and full decla. ration of all duties required of man towards God, and his neighbor, expressed in the decalogue: according to the tenor of which law, God entered into covenant with the Israelites; promising to be their God, in bestowing upon them, all blessings of life and happiness, on condition that they would be his people, obeying all things that he had commanded; which condition they accepted, promising an absolute obedience, Exod. 19: 8. "All things which the Lord hath said we will do;" and also submitting themselves to all punishment, in case they disobeyed, saying Amen to the curse of the law; "Cursed be every one that confirmeth not all the words of the law to do them; and all the people shall say, Amen."

And Mr. Walkert saith, that the first part of the covenant, which God made with Israel at Horeb, was nothing else but a renewing of the old covenant of works which God made with Adam in paradise. And it is generally laid down by our divines, that we are by Christ delivered from the law, as it is a covenant.§

Nom. But, Sir, were the children of Israel, at this time, better able to perform the condition of the covenant of works, than either Adam, or any of the old patriarchs were; that God renewed it now with them, rather than before?

Evan. No indeed, God did not renew it with them now, and not before, because they were better able to keep it, but because they had more need to be made acquainted, what the covenant of works is, than those before. For though it is true, the ten commandments, which were at first perfectly

* i. e. Had worn them out in the same measure and degree, as the light of nature was darkened; but neither the one, nor the other, was ever fully done. Rom. 2:14, 15.

+ On covenant, p. 128.

Wherein I differ from this learned author, as to this point; and for what reasons, may be seen p. 45 note t.

Bolton's true bounds, p. 23.

But not, as it is a rule of life; which is the other member of that distinction.

written in Adam's heart, were much obliterated* by his fall, yet some impressions and relicks thereof still remained;† and Adam himself was very sensible of his fall, and the rest of the fathers were helped by tradition;‡, || and (saith Cameron) God did speak to the patriarchs from heaven, yea and he spake unto them by his angels:§, T but now by this time sin had almost obliterated and defaced the impressions of the law written in their hearts;** ;** and by their being so long in Egypt, they were so corrupted, that the instructions and ordinances of their fathers were almost all worn out of mind; and their fall in Adam was almost forgotten, as the apostle testifieth, Rom. 5: 13, 14. saying, "Before the time of the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law." Nay, in that long course of time between Adam and Moses, men had forgotten what was sin: so al

* Both in the heart of Adam himself, and of his descendants in the first ages of the world.

+ Both with him and them.

Rom. 2:15. In Mr. Bolt, p. 371.

The doctrine of the fall, with whatsoever other doctrine was neces sary to salvation, was handed down from Adam; the fathers communicating the same to their children, and children's children. There were but eleven patriarchs before the flood; 1. Adam, 2. Seth, 3. Enos, 4. Cainan, 5. Mahalaleel, 6. Jared, 7. Enoch, 8. Methuselah, 9. Lamech, 10. Noah, 11. Shem. Adam having lived 930 years, Gen. 5: 5. was known to Lamech, Noah's father, with whom he lived 66 years, and much longer with the rest of the fathers before him; so that Lamech, and these before him, might have the doctrine from Adam's own mouth. Methuselah lived with Adam 243 years, and with Shem 98 years before the deluge. See Gen. 5. And what Shem (who, after the deluge, lived 502 years, Gen. 11: 10, 11.) had learned from Methuselah, he had occasion to teach Arphaxad, Sala, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abraham, Isaac, Gen. 21: 5. and Jacob, to whose fifty-first year he (viz. Shem) reached, Gen. 11: 10. and 21: 25. and 25: 26. compared. Vid. Bal. Op. Hist. Chron. p. 2, 3. Thus one may perceive, how the nature of the law and covenant of works, given to Adam, might be far better known to them, than to the Israelites after their long bondage in Egypt.

§ Bullenger Com. Pla.

i.e. And besides all this, God spake to the patriarchs, immediately, and by angels. But neither of these do we find, during the time of the bondage in Egypt; until the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the bush, and ordered him to go and bring the people out of Egypt, Exod. 3.

** The remaining impressions of the law, on the hearts of the Israelites.

though God had made a promise of blessing to Abraham and to all his seed, that would plead interest in it;*, † yet these people at this time were proud and secure, and heedless of their estate: and though sin was in them, and death reigned over them; yet they being without a law to evidence this sin and death, unto their consciences,‡ did not impute it unto themselves; they would not own it, nor charge themselves with it, and so by consequence found no need of pleading the promise made to Abraham, Rom. 5: 20.|| therefore the law entered, that Adam's offence and their own actual transgression, might abound: so that now the Lord saw it needful, that there should be a new edition and publication of the covenant of works; the sooner to compel the elect unbelievers to come to Christ the promised seed; and that the grace of God in Christ to the elect believers, might appear the more exceeding glorious. So that you see the Lord's intention therein was, that they, by looking upon this covenant, might be put in mind what was their duty of old, when they were in Adam's loins; yea, and what was their duty still, if they would stand to that covenant, and so go the old and natural way to work:§ yea, and by which they were also to see what was their present infirmity in not doing their duty; that so they seeing an impossibility of obtaining life, by that way of works, first appointed in paradise, might be humbled and more heedfully mind the promise made to their father Abraham, and hasten to lay hold on the Messiah or promised seed.

Nom. Then, Sir, it seems that the Lord did not renew the covenant of works with them, to the intent that they should obtain eternal life, by their yielding obedience to

it.

Evan. No indeed, God never made the covenant of works with any man, since the fall, either with expectation that he

* Reynolds on the use of the law, p. 584.

By faith, believing, embracing, and appropriating it to themselves, Heb. 11: 13. Jer. 3: 4.

Inasmuch as the remaining impressions of the law, on their hearts, were so weak, that they were not sufficient for the purpose.

By faith proponing it as their only defence; and opponing it to the demands of the law or covenant of works, as their only plea.

Pemble, Vind. Fid. p. 155.

How far they came short of, and could not reach unto, the obedience, they owed unto God, according to the perfection of the holy law.

should fulfil it,*, † or to give him life by it; for God never appoints any thing to an end, to which it is utterly unsuitable and improper. Now the law, as it is the covenant of works, is become weak and unprofitable to the purpose of salvation,|| and therefore God never appointed it to man since the fall to that end. And besides, it is manifest that the purpose of God, in the covenant made with Abraham, was to give life and salvation by grace and promise; and therefore his purpose in renewing the covenant of works, was not, neither could be, to give life and salvation by working, for then there would have been contradictions in the covemants, and instability in him that made them. Wherefore let no man imagine that God published the covenant of works on mount Sinai,§ as though he had been mutable and so changed his determination in that covenant made with Abraham; neither yet let any man suppose, that God, now in process of time, had found out a better way for man's salvation, than he knew before: for as the covenant of grace made with Abraham, had been needless, if the covenant of works made with Adam, would have given him, and his believing seed, life; so after the covenant of grace was once made, it was needless to renew the covenant of works, to the end that righteousness and life should be had by the obser vation of it. Which will yet more evidently appear, if we consider, that the apostle, speaking of the covenant of works as it was given on mount Sinai, saith, "It is added because of transgression;" it was not set up as a solid rule of righteousness, as it was given to Adam in paradise, but was added or put to:** It was not set up as a thing in gross, by it self. Gal. 3: 19.

* Bolton's true bounds, p. 132. 158.

Nor before the fall neither, properly speaking; but the expression is agreeable to seripture style, Isa. 5: 4. "Wherefore when I looked it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?"

+ Reynolds on the use of the law.

Rom. 8: 3. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh; God sending his own son," &c.

Dr. Willet on Exod. 10.

¶ Pemble Vind. p. 154.

** It was not set up by itself, as an entire rule of righteousness, to which alone they were to look, who desired righteousness and salvation; as it was in the case of upright Adam: for, no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law. Larg. Cat. quest. 94. But it was added to the covenant of grace, that by looking at it, men