Chapter VIIOf God's Covenant
The 1689 text, original spelling
About this text
Text public domain · U.S.
The 1689 text with original spelling and punctuation, copied and reformatted from CCEL’s microfilm transcription of the 1677 edition. Source: Bible Researcher transcription.
The source text was published in 1677/1689; the electronic transcription declares the confession text public domain. Rights evidence. Verified 2026-07-14.
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 attained the reward of Life, but by somea voluntary condescension on Gods part, which he hath been pleased to express, by way of Covenant.
aLuk. 17.10. Job 35.7.8.
Moreover Man having brought himselfb under the curse of the Law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto Sinners,c Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them Faith in him, that they may be saved; andd promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal Life, his holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.
This Covenant is revealed in the Gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of Salvation by thee seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, untill the fullf discovery thereof was compleated in the new Testament; and it is founded in that* Eternal Covenant transaction, that was between the Father and the Son, about the Redemption of the Elect; and it is alone by the Grace of this Covenant, that all of the posterity of fallen Adam, that ever wereg saved, did obtain life and a blessed immortality; Man being now utterly uncapable of acceptance with God upon those terms, on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.