Chapter 69. The Ninth Argument: Manifesting the Exceeding Willingness of God to Be Reconciled to Sin
Chapter 69.
The Ninth Argument: Manifesting the Exceeding Willingness of God to Be Reconciled to Sinners Another is this: that the Lord is willing to yield to His creatures, as far as may be, to yield to the creature (I say) as far as He can with honour. Such is the way of the Gospel in bringing sinners to God that God has yielded to His creature as far as can be conceived, in a manner that honours Him. He cannot deny Himself or His glory, but take it thus far: God must have His glory. It is impossible for God to yield further to the creature than He has already done.
Whereas God might have required satisfaction in our own persons, He has yielded to this: "I will take it in another." This is the condition of the Covenant of Grace, which differs from the Covenant of Works.
The Covenant of Works required perfect obedience in our own persons, so that if we failed to obey, it demanded satisfaction from us. Now, in the Covenant of Grace, there is a higher consideration, as it were. God is content to accept a surety on our behalf. He will be satisfied, for our part, if there is uprightness—if there are only endeavours, if there is simply willingness of heart. Though He sees that we provoke Him day by day, God says, "Whereas I insisted upon perfect obedience in the Covenant of Works, now I will be satisfied with the will for the deed." If there is uprightness of heart, though there may be many weaknesses, He is willing and content with that.
Now, does not a man show himself willing to be reconciled to another when he says, "Well, let there be any terms proposed that can be, I will yield to any terms as far as I can with honour. I must not dishonour myself, but as far as possible, I yield"? God has done