Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

Head IT. c/ the Natural Stock- I'p
never Cure, but broken every day. It is 2 rnCre lerviie
covenant^giving ChtiR fervice for fa!vation : but God’s
covenant is a filial covenant, in which the finner takes
Chrift, and his falvation freely offered, and fo becomes
a fon, John i 1 2. But as many as received him, to them
g<ive he Jover to become the Jons of Cod ; and being be¬
come a fon, hi ferves his Father, not that the inheri¬
tance may be nis, but becaufe it is his, through Jefus
Chrift, fee Gal. iv. 24. and downward. To enter into
that fpuricus covenant, is to buy Chrift with money
but to take hold of God’s covenant, is to buy of him
without money and without price, I fa. Iv. 1. that is to
fa'k to beg of him. In that covenant men work for
life ; in God’s covenant they come to Chrift for life,
and work from life. When a perfon under that cove¬
nant fails in his duty, all is gone, the covenant muft be
made over again •, but under God’s covenant, although
be man fail in his duty, and for his failures fall under
the difcipline of the covenant, and lies under the weight
of it till fuch time as he has recour feTo the blood of
Chrift for pardon, and renew his repentance, yet all
that he trufted to for life and falvation, namely, the
righteoufnefs of Cnrift, ftill (lands entire, and the cove¬
nant ttm iins firm, fee Rom. vii. 24, 25. and viii. 1.
Now, though feme men fpend their lives in making
and breaking fuch covenants of their own, the terror
upon the breaking of them wearing weaker and venter
bv degrees, till at iaft it creates them little or no uri-
eafinefs; yet the man, in whom the good work is car¬
ried on, till it be accomp’ifhed in cutting him off from
the old ftock, finds thefe covenants to be as rotten
cords, broke at every touch ; and the terror of God,
being thereupon redoubled on his fpirit, and the wa¬
ters at every turn getting into his very foul, he is ob¬
liged toceafe from Catching hold of fuch covenants, and
to feck help fome other way.
Tenthly, Therefore the man comes at length to beg
at Chrift.’s door for mercy ; hut yet lie is a proud beg¬
gar, ft; tiding on his perfonal worth. For as rhe lJa-
pilts have mediators to plead for them, with the one
Y 3 only