Man’s relationship to God in creation was based on works. What Adam failed to achieve, Christ, the second Adam, succeeded in achieving. Ultimately the only way one can be justified is by works. —R. C. Sproul, Getting the Gospel Right (Grand Rapids: . . . Continue reading →
Covenant of Works
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 →
William Cooper: There Is A Repetition Of The Covenant Of Works
OBJECTION. If any shall say, “By ‘first and old covenant’ was meant God’s covenant with Israel, and not with Adam; and so, by ‘covenant of works’ the same is meant; namely, that which the Lord made at Mount Sinai:” (Heb. 8:7–9:) ANSWER. . . . Continue reading →
Colquhoun: The Covenant Of Works Was Republished At Sinai
1. This contract between God and the first Adam, is in sacred writ, expressly styled a covenant. “These are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.” Here are two covenants mentioned, the one . . . Continue reading →
Witsius: The Sinai Law Is Substantially The Law Of Nature
And there were several kinds of laws given them, of which there are principally three mentioned by divines. The moral, or the decalogue, the ceremonial, and the political, or forensic. The people of Israel may doubtless be considered three ways. 1st, As . . . 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 →
Witsius: Sinai Was A Repetition Of The Covenant Of Works
A Repetition of the Law of the Covenant of Works. In the ministry of Moses, there was a repetition of the doctrine concerning the law of the covenant of works. The Mosaic Covenant, then, seems to be a sort of republication of . . . 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 →
Boston: WCF 19 Teaches Republication
That the conditional promise (Lev 18:5, to which agrees Exodus 19:8) and the dreadful threatening (Deut 27:26), were both given to the Israelites, as well as the ten commands, is beyond question; and that according to the apostle (Rom. 10:5, Gal. 3:10), . . . 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 →
Calamy On The Range Of Opinion On The Covenant Of Works
THere be severall opinions about the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of grace, to the great disturbance of many Christians; some hold that there be foure Covenants, two of Works, and two of Grace; the two first, one with Adam before . . . Continue reading →
The Covenant Of Works: Perfect Personal Obedience
God originally made everything from nothing, perfect. He made our first parents, Adam and Eve, the root of mankind, both upright and able to keep the law written in their hearts. This law they were naturally bound to obey upon penalty of . . . Continue reading →
Rollock: Of Works Done By Strength And Nature
Man, after the fall, abides under the covenant of works; and to this day, life is promised him under condition of works done by strength and nature. But if he will not do so well, death and the everlasting curse of God . . . Continue reading →
Witsius On The Relations Between The Covenants Works And Grace
XV. In Scripture, we find two covenants of God with man: the Covenant of Works, otherwise called, the Covenant of Nature, or the Legal and the Covenant of Grace. The apostle teacheth us this distinction, Rom. 3:27, where he mentions the law . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On The Covenant Of Works
Because what God so severely punished must have been no light sin but a detestable crime, we must consider what species of sin (peccati) there was in Adam’s fall that kindled God’s horrible vengeance against the whole human race. To regard Adam’s . . . Continue reading →
Luther On The Covenant Of Works
Before Adam’s fall it was not necessary for him to have Christ, because he was righteous and without sin, just as the angels have no need of Christ. If Adam had not fallen, it would not have been necessary for Christ to . . . Continue reading →