Chap. E. and the Covenant of Grace. ly due, which God may challenge from us as creatures, without either engagement unto, or exhibition of any reward at all for their paines, and what he may require without reward , when he covenants for it the reward is free. If Abraham had made Eliez,er of 'Damafcus his heire, upon his faithful fervice, the inheritance had yet been a free gift of grace conferr'd upon him. Make the Propofition univerfal, all condition in promifes deflroy the na- ture of a gift in the thing promifed, then it is to be denied, then a Covenant of grace would be a contradiction, feeing it is no Co- venant, as bath been demonflrated without a condition. Then the Prophet cloth contradi& himfelf in the tender of a Covenant, in the moil free manner, as is impoflible, Ifa, S 5. I, 2. Ho every one that thirtieth, &c. yet even their conditions are required ; Incline your eare, and come unto me, heare and yourPule fh,rll live , let the Wicleed forfake his way, the unrizhteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he Will have mercy upon him ; and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon, here are free promifes with conditions, men r who have not that fovereignty) account their gifts free, and yet require conditions from them on whom they are conferred. An Almshoufe is founded and indued with re- venue, conditions are put upon the Almes- people, to refide in finch an houle of signed, to weare clothes of the colour and forme prefcribed, or whatfoever elfe the Founder pleafe, and yet the gift is free. Finally, God cannot covenant with man, and keep up his fovereignty, if he leave out obedience in the Articles of the Covenant. The Covenant is upon equal termes, if fubjection be excluded ; to be a God in Covenant, and not require fubjedion, is the highell of contradictions, Mafler Owen, an adverfary of more value, in his tenth chapter of his book of the death of Ch riff, after a large, and (to my weak capacity) an intricate difcourfe of the right that redeemed ones have to the death ofChrifl before beieeving, faith, page 66. Here may be obferved the miftake of thofe,whoWinde up the merit ofCi rift, as affelting God (as I may fo fpeak,) unto a conditional engagement,, viz, that we fhall be made Partakers of the fruits of'it, upon fuck and Inch conditions to be by w fulfilled. It will be worth our labour to enquire what you mean by the conditional engagement, unto which you fay force winde up the merit o f Chrift,alaffeelingGod withit; do you mean fuck conditions, that as caufes or impulfive motives
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