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 any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension . . . Continue reading →
Covenant of Grace
Heidegger And Turretin: Adam’s Covenant Of Works Fulfilled By Christ
Canon VII: As all his works were known unto God from eternity, (Acts 15:18), so in time, according to his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, he made man, the glory and end of his works, in his own image, and, therefore, upright, . . . Continue reading →
Belgic Confession: The Commandment Of Life Versus The Foundation Of Grace
14. We believe that God created man out of the dust of the earth, and made and formed him after his own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy, capable in all things to will agreeably to the will of God. But . . . Continue reading →
Irish Articles (1615): The Covenant Of Law, Christ’s Merits, And Grace To Sinners
21. Man being at the beginning created according to the image of God (which consisted especially in the wisdom of his mind and the true holiness of his free will), had the covenant of law engrafted in his heart, whereby God did . . . Continue reading →
Rutherford: Meritorious Works For Adam And Christ But Grace For Us
Christ gave perfect obedience as man to the Covenant of Works, and he did merit as man, by the law of works, life eternal, the way that Adam should have merited life eternal, so he had never fallen…. Continue reading →
Berkhof: Christ Met The Condition Of The Covenant Of Works
3. BASICALLY, THE COVENANT OF GRACE IS SIMPLY THE EXECUTION OF THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT BY CHRIST AS OUR SURETY. He undertook freely to carry out the will of God. He placed Himself under the law, that He might redeem them that were . . . Continue reading →
A. A. Hodge: Adam Would Have Merited
As to the relation of good works to rewards, it may be observed—(1.) The word merit, in the strict sense of the term, means that common quality of all actions or services to which a reward is due in strict justice on . . . Continue reading →
Hodge On Adam, Christ, Conditions, And Merit
The condition of the covenant of grace, so far as adults are concerned, is faith in Christ. That is, in order to partake of the benefits of this covenant we must receive the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God in . . . Continue reading →
Witsius: Don’t Confuse The Covenant Of Works With The Covenant Of Grace
XXV. Such a perfect observance of the laws of the covenant, up to the period which God had fixed for probation, had given man a right to the reward. Not from any intrinsic proportion of the work to the reward, as the . . . Continue reading →
Shepherdite Theology: Covenantal Arminianism
It is not proper, therefore, to set up a dichotomy whereby according to God’s secret will, election or justification cannot be lost, but according to our covenant perspective they may be lost. The statements cited show a tendency to use typically Calvinistic . . . Continue reading →
The Distinction Must Be Maintained
The two covenant scheme of the Westminster Standards has been absolutely essential in combatting the Neonomianism of both Norman Shepherd and the Federal Vision, not to mention Roman Catholicism. There are, of course, matters in which the two covenants are similar (they . . . Continue reading →
A Uniform Concept Of Covenant Faithfulness For Adam, Israel, & The New Covenant People
Mr. Shepherd rejects not only the term ‘covenant of works’ but the possibility of any merit or reward attaching to the obedience of Adam in the creation covenant. He holds that faithful obedience is the condition of all covenants in contrast to . . . Continue reading →
Rollock: Covenant Of Works Founded On Nature And Republished To Israel
For this cause he, when he was to repeat that covenant of works to the people of Israel, he gave the first law written in tables of stone; Then he made a covenant with his people, saying,”do these things and ye shall live.” Therefore the ground of the covenant of works was not Christ, nor the grace of God in Christ, but the nature of man in the first creation holy and perfect, endued also with the knowledge of the law. Continue reading →
Patrick Gillespie: Moses Was A Pedagogical Republication Of The Covenant Of Works
2.Then there could be no Covenant of Grace, in that Sinai covenant, for a covenant cannot be called subservient to itself; but it is abundantly proved and at great length by others, that the Sinai covenant was a covenant of grace, so . . . Continue reading →
Buchanan: The Law Was Not Relaxed But Republished
If the original law required perfect obedience, could it be abrogated, or even relaxed, otherwise than by God’s authority? If it was not abrogated, but republished, at Sinai, was it relaxed by Christ, when He repeated it, saying, ‘Thou shalt love the . . . Continue reading →
Buchanan: Moses Was An Administration Of Grace And A Republication Of The Law
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.’ If it was ‘by Promise,’ then it was ‘by faith,’ for faith only receives the Promise; if it was by . . . Continue reading →
The Marrow Surveys 17th-Century Opinion On Republication
Nom. And do any of our godly and modern writers agree with you on this point? Evan. Yes, indeed. Polanus says, “The covenant of works is that in which God promiseth everlasting life unto a man that in all respects performeth perfect . . . Continue reading →
Brakel: If You Don’t Understand The Covenant Of Works You Probably Don’t Understand The Covenant Of Grace Either
Whoever errs here or denies the existence of the covenant of works will not understand the covenant of grace.—Wilhelmus à Brakel. Continue reading →
Boston On Works And Grace In Galatians 4
Ver. 24. Which things are a typical history; for these two women represent the two covenants, with the churches thereto adhering respectively; the one from Mount Sinai, to wit, the covenant of works, which was given there, and where the Jewish synagogue, . . . Continue reading →
The New Covenant: A Revision And Expansion Of The Abrahamic
Jesus’ new covenant is not only a revision of the Abrahamic covenant but also an incorporation of a new body of people. This new covenant is said to be for all who believe in Jesus–not only believing Jews but also believing Gentiles. . . . Continue reading →