The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§21

The peculiar Nature of Covenants between God and Man.But the Covenants between God and Men have this among other Things peculiar to them: That towards the making of them there is not requisite such a Combination of Wills, as that there must be a Motion to them alike on both Sides, but the Invitation and Declaration on the Part of God may a great while precede, and persist unmov’d, till the Acceptation follows on the Part of Men, tho’ this be a long time after it. Which Acceptation on Man’s part being added, then there is an Union of Wills between God and Men, and so a compleat Covenant is made, John 15:16. Further, the Covenants made between Man and Man commonly are such as contain some Advantage and Profit on both Sides, tho’ it may be sometimes an unequal one. For such is the Nature of Man, that no Man is willing to bring himself under any Obligation, unless he can expect some Benefit and Advantage from it. But in the Covenants of God with Men the Things perform’d on our Part bear no Proportion in worth to those which are afforded on the Part of God. But ’tis agreeable to the Divine Majesty and Perfection that all the Benefits of those Covenants should redound to Mankind alone, who are the weaker Part, and that he do reserve only the Glory of his Benignity to himself, Rom. 9:35. Hence the Things which Man expects to obtain by such Covenant he can in no wise attribute to his own Merit, but what God is pleas’d to do according to his Covenant is nevertheless owing to the Divine Grace, Apoc. 5:12.