George Walker on the promises of the unconditional covenant of grace

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Reformed Covenanter

Cancelled Commissioner
... In this Covenant there is not any condition or Law to be performed on man’s part by man himself, as in the first old Covenant, of Nature; and therefore it is called the free Covenant of Grace, and not of Works. The perfect obedience, righteousness, and satisfaction of Christ, which he performed to the whole Law, for man, in Man’s nature, though it stands in the place of every man’s perfect obedience to God’s Law in his own person, and his subjection to the whole revealed will of God, which was the condition of the Old Covenant of Works, and when man is partaker of it by communion with Christ, he is more perfectly justified, and made worthy of life eternal, than man in the state of nature could have been by his own perfect obedience, and personal righteousness performed in his own person; Yet it cannot so properly be called, A condition of the New Covenant of Grace which God hath made with Mankind (because God imposeth it not as a condition to be performed by every man in his person) but is one of the blessings promised in the New Covenant.

So likewise, the Gifts, Graces, and Works, and Fruits of the Spirit, which are required to be in man, to make him an actual partaker of Christ, and of life and salvation in him, whether they be outward, as the word preached and heard, the Sacraments given and received, and the like; or inward, as Faith, by which Christ is received, and applied; Repentance, Love, Hope, and other saving Graces; they are all free gifts of God, he gives them to us, and by his Spirit works in us both to will and to do; and without his Grace continually assisting us according to his promise, we cannot perform any thing which is mentioned in the Gospel, as a conditional means of life and Salvation in Christ.

And therefore this Covenant is foedus gratuitum, a most free Covenant of Grace, wherein no condition is propounded to man, to be performed by any power of his own, for the obtaining of life: but God of his own free Grace promiseth all blessings, and for his own sake gives them; and also all power to receive and enjoy them. ...

For more, see George Walker on the promises of the unconditional covenant of grace.
 
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