." You see this method is not changed under the gospel,
for, indeed, it is natural to the spirit of man, and he hath now much more
need of all such persuasions, because there is a great change of man's
inclination to the worst side. All within is so disordered and perverse
that a thousand hedges of persuasive grounds cannot do that which one
might have done at first. Then they were added out of superabundance, but
now out of necessity,--then they were set about man to preserve him in his
natural frame and inclinations, but now they are needful to change and
alter them quite, which is a kind of creation, therefore saith David,
"create in me a new spirit," and, therefore, the gospel abounds in variety
of motives and inducements, in greater variety, of far more powerful
inducements than the law. Here is that great persuasion taken from the
infinite gain or loss of the soul of man, which, if any thing be able to
prevail, this must do, seeing it is seconded with some natural inclination
in the soul of man to seek its own gain. Yet there is a difference
between the nature of such like promises and threatenings in the first
covenant and in the second. In the first covenant, though life was freely
promised, yet it was immediately annexed to perfect obedience as a
consequent reward of it. It was firstly promised unto complete
righteousness of men's persons. But in the second covenant, firstly and
principally life eternal, grace and glory is promised to Jesus Christ and
his seed, antecedent to any condition or qualification upon their part.
And then again, all the promises that run in way of condition, as, "He
that believeth shall not perish," &c., "If ye walk after the Spirit, ye
shall live." These are all the consequent fruits of that absolute gracious
disposition and resignation of grace and life to them whom Christ hath
chosen. And so their believing, and walking, and obeying, cometh in
principally as parts of the grace promised, and as witnesses and evidences
and confirmations of that life which is already begun, and will not see an
end. Besides that, by virtue of these absolute promises made to the seed
of Christ, and Christ's complete performance of all conditions in their
name, the promises of life are made to faith principally, which hath this
peculiar virtue to carry forth the soul to another's righteousness and
sufficiency, and to bottom it upon another and in the next place, to holy
walking, though mixed with many inf