Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein He freely offers unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.
When Adam fell into sin he lost the ability to keep the covenant of works, having abrogated it anyway by his disobedience. But our gracious God was not done with men. He instituted a second covenant, even more gracious than the first, wherein sinful men may still have hope.
Note the following carefully:
1. God's covenant of grace is freely offered to sinners, on the condition of faith.
2. The means by which this grace comes, the object of this faith, is Jesus Christ.
3. The promise is to all those whom God has ordained unto eternal life.
4. In the application of this divine purpose, the Holy Spirit makes these elect persons willing and able to believe. Without the Spirit's intervention sinners are unwilling and unable to believe. They lost this ability in the fall.
There is a great deal laid out in this short paragraph. Much more will be said of these things in chapters VIII and IX and the several chapters on salvation that follow.
Tomorrow: Jesus Christ the Testator.
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