ANSW. The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam;
and in him, with all the elect, as his seed.
As the covenant of grace is opposed to that which was made with Adam, as
the head of mankind, so it is considered in this answer, as made with
the second Adam, and, in him, with all his elect, who are described, by
the Psalmist, as a _seed that should serve him, which should be
accounted to the Lord for a generation_, Psal. xxii. 30. and the prophet
Isaiah, speaking of them, says, _He shall see his seed_, Isa. liii. 10.
In explaining this answer, we shall consider,
I. What we are to understand by a covenant in general, and more
particularly how it is to be understood, as used in scripture. The word
commonly used in the Old Testament,[89] to signify a covenant, being
taken in several senses, may be better understood, by the application
thereof, in those places, where we find it, than by enquiring into the
sense of the root, from whence it is derived. Sometimes, indeed, it
signifies such a compact between two parties, as agrees with our common
acceptation of the word, especially when applied to transactions between
man and man; as in the covenant between Abraham, and those neighbouring
princes, that were _confederate with him_, where the same word is used,
in Gen. xiv. 13, and in the covenant between Isaac and Abimelech,
mentioned in Gen. xxvi. 28, 29. and in that between Jonathan and David,
in 1 Sam. xx. 16, 17. in all which instances there was mutual
stipulation, and re-stipulation, as there is in human covenants; and,
for this reason, some apply those ideas to the word, when it is used to
signify God’s entering into covenant with man.
But there is another acceptation thereof when God is represented as
making a covenant with man which is more agreeable to the divine
perfections, and that infinite distance there is between him and us;
therefore we find in several places of scripture, that when God is said
to make a covenant there is an intimation of some blessings which he
would bestow upon his people, without any idea of stipulation, or
re-stipulation, annexed to it: thus we read, in Jer. xxxiii. 20. of
God’s _covenant of the day and night_, or that there should be day and
night _in their season_; and, in Gen. xi. 9, 10, 11. of God’s
establishing _his covenant with Noah, and his seed, and every living
creature, that all flesh should not be cut off any more, by the waters
of a flood_. And, in Ezek. xxxiv. 25. when God promises to cause _evil
beasts to cease out of the land_, and that his people should _dwell
safely in the wilderness_, and that he would confer several other
blessings upon them, mentioned in the following verses; this is called,
his making with them _a covenant of peace_. And, when God promises
spiritual blessings to his people, in Isa. lix. 21. he says, _This is my
covenant with them; my Spirit that is upon thee, and the words that I
have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of
the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith
the Lord, from henceforth, and for ever_.
Moreover, sometimes the Hebrew word, which we translate _covenant_, is
used to signify a _statute_, or _ordinance_, which God has established,
or appointed, in his church: thus, in Numb. xviii. 19. when God
ordained, that Aaron and his sons should have the heave-offerings of the
holy things, he says, _These have I given thee, and thy sons and thy
daughters with thee, to be a statute for ever_, and adds, in the words
immediately following, _It is a covenant of salt for ever, before the
Lord_.
And as for the word used in the New Testament,[90] by which the LXX
generally translate the Hebrew word, before-mentioned, in the Old
Testament, this signifies the same thing; so that both the words imply
little more than a divine establishment or ordinance, in which God gives
his people ground to expect promised blessings, in such a way, as
redounds most to his own glory; and at the same time, they, who are
expectants thereof, are not exempted from an obligation to perform those
duties, which this grace obliges them to, and which will be an evidence
of their right to them.
And I cannot but farther observe, that among other acceptations of the
word, especially as used by the apostle, in his epistle to the Hebrews,
in chap. ix. 15-18. it signifies a Testament; which word some who treat
on this subject, rather choose to make use of, than to call it a
covenant, being warranted so to do, by the sense given of it in this
scripture; and their reason for it is, not only because, as the apostle
says, it was _confirmed by the death of the Testator_;[91] but because
they conclude, that this more conduces to the advancing the grace of
God, in this dispensation, than to style it a _covenant_, in that sense,
in which the word is commonly used, when applied to other matters: but I
would rather acquiesce in that medium, betwixt both extremes, which some
have given into, who join both the ideas of a covenant and a testament
together[92], and style it, in some respects, a covenant, and, in others
a testament. If it be called a covenant, they abstract from the ideas
thereof, some things, that are contained in the sense of the word, as
applied to human contracts, and add to it other things, contained in a
testament; such as the giving or bequeathing certain legacies, as an act
of favour, to those who are denominated, from thence, legatees,
interested in those gifts that are thus disposed of by the will of the
testator. Or if, on the other hand, we call it a testament it seems very
agreeable, to this dispensation, to join with it the idea of a covenant,
more especially as to what contains the concern of Christ herein, as the
Head thereof, or the Person in whom all the benefits, contained in this
testament, are first reposed, as they are purchased by his blood, and,
as the consequence thereof, applied by his Spirit. And this agrees very
well with the subject-matter of this answer, in which the covenant is
said to be made with him, and with the elect in him, as well as with
what is contained in that answer immediately following, in which the
covenant of grace is described in such a way, as they describe it, who
say that it was made with believers. This is necessary to be premised,
that we may not, in our explication of this doctrine, advance any thing
which is inconsistent with its being a covenant of grace: and, that we
may farther consider this matter, we shall proceed to shew,
II. What there is in the idea of a covenant, as we generally understand
the word, when applied to signify a contract between man and man. In
this case, there are two parties, one of which is said to stipulate, or
enter into a covenant with the other, in which he makes a proposal, that
he will confer some favours on him, upon certain conditions, provided he
will oblige himself to fulfil them; and the other party complies with
the proposal made, and, in expectation of those advantages, consents to
fulfil the conditions enjoined, and accordingly is said to re-stipulate;
as when a person engages another to be his servant, and to give him a
reward for his service; and the other consents to serve him, in
expectation of the wages which he engages to give him: in this case,
each party is supposed to be possessed of something, which the other has
no right to, but by virtue of this contract made between them: thus the
servant has no right to the rewards, which his master promises, nor has
the master any right to his service, but by mutual consent. Each party
also proposes some advantage to himself, and therefore, when they enter
into this agreement, they are supposed, in some respects, to stand on a
level with each other. No one will enter into a covenant with another,
for the performing that which he had an antecedent right to; nor will
any one engage to perform any service, as a condition of his receiving
those benefits, which he had a right to, without any such condition
enjoined on him. Moreover, when two parties are said to enter into
covenant with one another, they are supposed, in some respects, to stand
in need of some things, which they had before no right to; one party
needs the reward proposed; the other, the service which he enjoins, as a
condition of his bestowing it. These things are generally supposed, and
contained in contracts between man and man.
III. When God is said to enter into covenant with man, what method
soever we take to explain this federal transaction, we must take heed
that we do not include in it any thing that is inconsistent with his
infinite sovereignty, or argues him to be dependent on his creatures, as
though he had not an antecedent right to their obedience, which he
demands in this covenant, or it were left to man’s arbitrary will
whether he would perform it or no. Though men may be said to have some
things in their own power, so that one has a right to that, which
another has no right to, but by his own consent, and are entirely left
to their liberty, whither they will consign over that right, which they
had to it, to another, who could not otherwise lay claim to it; yet this
is by no means to be applied to man when considered as having to do with
the great God. The best of creatures have no right to any thing,
separate from his arbitrary will; and therefore though stipulation and
re-stipulation are proper words, when applied to a man’s covenant, they
ought not to be made use of, when we explain this covenant between God
and man.
IV. Though the parties concerned in the covenant, as explained in this
answer, to wit, God the Father, and Christ the Head of his elect, are
both divine Persons, so that one of them is not infinitely below the
other, as man is below God; and therefore it is more properly called a
covenant, in this respect, than that which God is said to enter into
with man, (and, if stipulation and re-stipulation is, in any respect,
applicable to the divine dispensation, it may be applied in this case:)
nevertheless, there are some things, which are implied in the idea of a
covenant between man and man, that cannot, consistently with the glory
of these divine Persons, be contained in this federal transaction
between them; particularly, as he that enters into covenant with
another, proposes some advantage to himself hereby: thus a master, when
he stipulates with one to be his servant, is supposed as much to need
his service, as the servant does the wages that he promises to give him;
there is a kind of mutual advantage arising from thence: but, in the
covenant of grace, whether God be said to make it with man, or with
Christ, as the Head of his elect, the advantage that arises from thence
is our’s, and not God’s. In this respect, what was done by Christ, made
no addition to the essential glory of God, or the divine blessedness,
any more than man can be said, in that respect, to be profitable to him:
thus some understand those words of the Psalmist, as spoken by our
Saviour, when he says, _My goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the
saints which are in the earth_, Psal. xvi. 2, 3. and this agrees very
well with some other things, contained in the same Psalm, which are
expressly, in other parts of scripture, applied to him; and, if so, then
the meaning is, that whatever glory God the Father designed to
demonstrate by this federal transaction with his Son; yet he did not, as
men do, by entering into covenant with one another, propose to receive
any addition of glory from it, as though he were really to be profited
thereby.
Again, when men enter into covenant with one another, they are supposed
to have different wills, and accordingly they might refuse to enter into
those engagements, which they bring themselves under, as well as comply
with them; the obligation, on both sides, is founded in mutual consent,
and that is supposed to be arbitrary: but, when we consider the eternal
compact between the Father and the Son, we must conclude, that though
they be distinct as to their personality, yet, having the same essential
perfections, the will of the Father and the Son, cannot but be the same.
Therefore when many, who explain this doctrine, represent one as
proposing, the other as complying, with the proposal; one demanding, the
other expecting, and each depending on mutual promises, made by one to
the other, this, it is true, seems to be founded on some
scripture-expressions to the same purpose, wherein the Holy Ghost is
pleased to condescend to make use of such modes of speaking, which are
agreeable to the nature of human covenants, as he does in various other
instances; nevertheless, we must not so far strain the sense of words,
as to infer, from hence, any thing that is inconsistent with the divine
glory of the Father and the Son. And to this we may add, that no act of
obedience can be performed by a divine Person, in the same nature, as
there cannot be an act of subjection in that nature, which is properly
divine; and consequently when we consider Christ, in this respect, as
entering into covenant, and engaging to perform those conditions, which
were insisted on therein, these are supposed to be performed by him, as
Mediator, or God incarnate, in his human nature; and, in this respect,
he is the Head of the covenant, which is made with him, and, in him,
with the elect. Therefore we must suppose, when we speak of a covenant
between the Father and the Son, that, whatever be the will of the
Father, the same is the Son’s will; and whatever conditions the Son
consented to perform, as stipulated in this covenant, it was in his
human nature that the work was to be done; and therefore it is well
observed, in some following answers, that he, who is the Head or
Mediator of this covenant, is, as it was absolutely necessary for him to
be, both God and man, in one Person. But of this more hereafter.
V. There are several expressions used, in scripture, that give us
sufficient ground to conclude, that there was an eternal transaction
between the Father and the Son, relating to the salvation of his elect,
which, if explained agreeably to the divine perfections, and
consistently with the glory of each of these divine Persons, is not only
an undoubted truth, but a very important article of faith, as it is the
foundation of all those blessings, which are promised, and applied to us
in the covenant of grace, in which is all our salvation and our hope.
Here let it be considered, that, when we speak concerning a covenant, as
passing between the Father and the Son, we understand thereby, that
there was a mutual consent between them both, that the work of our
redemption should be brought about in such a way, as it was, by our
Saviour, when this eternal agreement had its accomplishment; and
accordingly the Father is said to _have set him up_, as the Head of his
elect, _from everlasting_, Prov. viii. 23. and ordained, that he should
execute those offices, which he was to perform, as Mediator, and receive
that revenue of glory, that was the result thereof; and the Son, as
having the same divine will, could not but consent to do this; and this
is called, his eternal undertaking; and, both these together, are styled
the eternal covenant, between the Father and him.
For the proof of this doctrine, we might refer to those several
scriptures that speak of our Saviour as _called_, and _given for a
covenant of the people_, Isa. xlii. 6. and _fore-ordained_, 1 Pet. i.
20. to perform the work which he engaged in, in the behalf of his elect;
and also consider him as consenting to do every thing for his people,
which he did in time, and to stand in every relation to them, that was
subservient to their redemption and salvation, which he could not but
do, as having the same divine will with the Father; and without his
consent, it could not properly be said that there was a covenant between
them. We might also prove it from those several scriptures, that speak
of him, as _sanctified and sent into the world_, John x. 36. to act as
Mediator, _sealed by the Father_, John vi. 27. and receiving a _power to
lay down his life, and take it up again_, John x. 18. that so he might
answer the great end of our redemption thereby; and also, from his being
empowered to execute the offices of a Prophet, Priest, and King;
confirmed in his priestly office by _the oath_, Psal. cx. 4. Heb. vii.
21. of the Father, sent by him to execute his Prophetical office to
those whom he was to guide in the way of salvation; and, as _God’s King,
set on his holy hill of Zion_, Psal. ii. 6. When we consider all these
things done, on the Father’s part, as antecedent to Christ’s acting as
Mediator, and, at the same time, when we compare them with other
scriptures, that speak of the Son, as consenting to do the will of God,
or complying with his call, willing to be and do whatever was necessary,
to secure the great ends designed thereby; when we consider him, as
taking the human nature into union with the divine, not without his own
consent thereunto, and as bearing the punishment due to our sin, which
it would not have been just for God to have inflicted, without his will
or consent; I say, this mutual consent between the Father and the Son,
that those things should be done which were subservient to the
redemption and salvation of the elect, which the scripture is very
express in giving an account of, these are a sufficient foundation for
our asserting, that there was a covenant between the Father and the Son
relating thereunto.
But now we shall enquire, more particularly, into the sense of those
scriptures, on which this doctrine is founded. And here we cannot wholly
pass over what we read, in Psal. cxix. 122. _Be surety for thy servant
for good_; and Hezekiah’s prayer, in Isa. xxxviii. 14. _I am oppressed;
undertake_, or be surety, _for me_. The Hebrew words are the same in
both places, and signifies, not barely to confer some privileges on
persons, but to do this under the character of a surety; and therefore
when David and Hezekiah pray that they may be delivered, either from
their enemies, or their afflictions, by addressing themselves to their
Deliverer under this character, it must be supposed that they understand
him, as having undertaken to be a Surety for his people, which is a
character that belongs only to the Son. And since it is so evident, that
his Mediatorial work and character was so well known to the Old
Testament church, as their salvation was equally concerned herein with
ours; and, since they are often represented as addressing themselves to
him by faith and prayer, it seems more than probable that he is so
considered in these texts, when it is desired that he would be _surety
for them_, namely, that as he was appointed by the Father, and had
undertaken, by his own consent, to stand in that relation, they pray
that they might be made partakers of the benefits arising from thence.
There is also another scripture, in which the same word[93] is used,
which seems to be applied to our Saviour, _viz._ in Jer. xxx. 21. _Their
nobles_, or, as it ought to be rendered, in the singular number, their
noble, or magnificent person, _shall be of themselves, and their
governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to
draw near, and he shall approach unto me; for who is this that engaged
his heart to approach to me, saith the Lord?_ This sense of the text is
very agreeable to several other prophecies, relating to the Messiah’s
being of the seed of Israel; and when it is said, _I will cause him to
draw near, and he shall approach unto me_, it implies, that he should
sustain the character, and perform the work of a surety, in the behalf
of his people, for that is the proper sense of the word there used; _for
who is this that hath engaged his heart unto me?_ that is, who is there,
among the sons of men, that dares engage in this work, or is qualified
for it? Or it may be understood with a note of admiration; that is, how
glorious a person is this, who hath engaged his heart, or (as it was
determined that he should) has freely consented to approach unto me,
that is, in so doing, to act as a surety with me for my people! And that
this is a more probable sense of the text, than to suppose that it is
meant either of Zerubbabel, or some other governor, that should be set
over them, after the captivity, appears, if we compare it with ver. 9.
in which it is said, _They shall serve the Lord their God, and David
their king_, which can be meant of none but Christ, inasmuch as David
was dead; and none that sat on his throne, or descended from him, can be
called David in this place, because divine worship is said to be
performed to him, which could not be done without idolatry, which no
true sense of scripture can give countenance to; and this is a character
given of our Saviour in other scriptures: thus, in Ezek. xxxiv. 24. _I
will be their God, and my servant David a Prince among them_; and, in
Hos. iii. 5. _They shall seek the Lord their God, and David their King,
and fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter day_; that is, they
shall adhere, and give divine worship, to the Messiah, whom their
fathers rejected, when they are converted, in the latter days. Now it is
this _David, their King_, who is said to have _engaged his heart to
approach unto God_; and then, in the words immediately following, ver.
22. God reveals himself, as a covenant-God, to them, which is the
consequence of Christ’s engaging his heart to approach unto him: _Ye
shall be my people, and I will be your God_. Now this proves an eternal
transaction between the Father and the Son, in that the Father wills, or
determines, that he shall _draw near_, or _approach_ to him, as a
surety, and the Son consents, in that he has _engaged his heart_ to do
it; and all this with a design that his covenant should be established,
and that he should be a God to his people.
There is another scripture which proves that there was a federal
transaction between the Father and the Son, from several expressions
therein used, namely, in Isa. xlii. 1, 6. which is, beyond dispute,
spoken concerning our Saviour; for it is applied to him in the New
Testament, Matt. xi. 18-21. Herein God the Father calls him _his
Servant_, as denoting that it was his will, or (to use that mode of
speaking, which is generally applied to covenants between man and man)
that he stipulated with him, to perform the work which he engaged in, as
Mediator, to which he is said to be _called in righteousness_; and, with
respect to his human nature, in which he performed it, he is styled
_God’s elect_, as fore-ordained hereunto, and the person _in whom his
soul delighteth_, as he is glorified by him in the faithful discharge
thereof; and, that he might not fail therein, God promises _to hold his
hand, and keep him_; and, as the result of his having accomplished it,
_to give him for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles_.
And elsewhere, in Isa. xlix. 8, 9. which also appears to be spoken to
Christ, not only from the context, but from the reference to it in the
New Testament, 2 Cor. vi. 2. _In an acceptable time have I heard thee,
and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee,
and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to
cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the
prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves_, we
have a plain intimation of his being ordained by the Father to perform
that work, which he was engaged in, as Mediator; and his _being given
for a covenant of the people_, signifies his being sent into the world,
in pursuance of a covenant, in which the salvation of his people was
contained. And there is another scripture, in which our Saviour,
speaking to his disciples, says, in Luke xxii. 29. _I appoint unto you a
kingdom, as my Father hath appointed me_;[94] or, I confer the blessings
of this kingdom upon you, in a covenant way, as my Father hath appointed
me to do, in that eternal covenant, which passed between him and me.
Again, there are several rewards, which were promised to him, as the
consequence of his discharging the work committed to him, some of which
respected that glory which belongs to his person, as Mediator; and
others, more especially, respected the salvation of his people, and
therein the success of his undertaking: thus it is said, in Isa. liii.
10. _When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his
seed; he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hands_; together with several other things relating to
the event, and consequence of his performing the work he was engaged in.
Moreover, as he was called to this work, or, as it was, as we before
explained it, the result of the Father’s will, that he should perform
it; so we have elsewhere an account of his own consent, as implying,
that it was the result of his own will, as well as his Father’s: thus it
is said, in Psal. xl. 6-8. _Mine ears hast thou opened_, or bored:
alluding to a custom used under the ceremonial law, by which the willing
servant was signified to be obliged, by his own consent, to _serve his
master for ever_, Exod. xxi. 5, 6. Thus God the Father, engaged Christ,
if I may so express it, to perform the work of a Mediator; and then we
have an account of his consent hereunto, when he says, _Lo, I come, I
delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart_; and
this mutual consent is farther expressed in Isa. l. 5. _The Lord God
hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious; neither turned away
back_.
And he is farther represented, as making a demand, or insisting on the
accomplishment of what was stipulated in this covenant; and this he had
a warrant to do from the Father, in Psal. ii. 8. _Ask of me, and I shall
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of
the earth for thy possession_. These, and many other scriptures of the
like nature, sufficiently prove this doctrine, that there was an eternal
covenant between the Father and the Son, relating to the redemption and
salvation of the elect; and this implies more than his being barely
_fore-ordained_ to perform the work he was engaged in, as he is said to
have been, 1 Pet. i. 2. for that, alone, would not have proved that
there was a federal transaction between the Father and him; since it may
be said of any one, who is engaged in works of an inferior nature, that
God, who called him to perform them, fore-ordained that he should do so;
but when it is said, concerning our Saviour not only that he engaged in
the work of our redemption, as the result of his Father’s will, but of
his own, and so consented to do whatever was incumbent on him, as
Mediator, this certainly argues that there was an eternal covenant
between the Father and him, with relation to this matter, so far as we
may be allowed to retain any of those ideas taken from human covenants,
when we speak of any transaction between two divine Persons.
There is but one scripture more that I shall mention, which, though some
will not allow that it relates to this matter, yet, if we duly consider
the scope and design thereof, together with its connexion with the
foregoing words, may probably appear to be of some weight to confirm
this doctrine; namely, in Zech. vi. 13. in which it is said, _The
counsel of peace shall be between them both_. Some, indeed, understand
these words, as referring to Joshua and Zerubbabel, and that they
signify their mutual consent, to promote the peace and welfare of the
church. But this cannot reasonably be concluded to be the sense of the
text; for Zerubbabel is not mentioned in this chapter; nor are there any
two persons spoken of therein, that it can be applied to, but Jehovah
and the Branch, that is, the Father and the Son, who are mentioned in
the foregoing words; Christ, who is called the Branch, is said _to build
the temple of the Lord_, and to be a _Priest upon his throne_; and this
work, which he was engaged in, and the royal dignity, which he was
advanced to, are both of them said to be the result of a counsel, or
federal transaction, that was between them both.
If it be objected to this, that this _counsel of peace_ only respects
the harmony that there is between Christ’s priestly and kingly offices,
as both of them have a reference to our salvation: this cannot well
agree with the meaning of the word _counsel_, which implies in it a
confederacy between two persons, and not the tendency of two offices,
executed to bring about the same end.
And, if it be farther objected, that the grammatical construction of the
words do not favour the sense which we give of them, inasmuch as they
contain an account of something that was future, and not from all
eternity. To this it may be replied, that it is not, in the least,
disagreeable to the sense of the words, and other phrases of the like
import, used in scripture, to understand them in the sense
before-mentioned, since it is no uncommon thing, in scripture, for that
to be said to be, that appears to be: thus it is said, _Let all the
house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom
ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ_, Acts ii. 36. that is, he hath,
by his raising him from the dead, demonstrated him to be _both Lord and
Christ_, which, in reality, he was from all eternity; so, in this text,
when it is said, that _the counsel of peace shall be between them both_,
it signifies, that Christ’s building the temple, and bearing the glory,
and sitting as a Priest upon his throne, is a plain evidence, or
demonstration, that there was a counsel or covenant, between the Father
and him, from all eternity, relating to the peace and welfare of his
people, who are the spiritual house that he builds, and the subjects
whom he governs, defends, and saves. Thus concerning the federal
transaction that was between the Father and the Son; and, since this is
called, in this answer, _The covenant of grace_, it may be necessary for
us to enquire,
VI. Whether this be a distinct covenant from that which God is said to
enter into, or make with man. This covenant is said, indeed, to be made
with Christ, as the head of his elect: but it may be enquired, whether
there be not also another covenant, which is generally styled the
covenant of grace, that is made with the elect, as parties concerned
therein. Every one, that is conversant in the writings of those who
treat on this subject, will observe, that divines often distinguish
between the covenant of redemption, and that of grace; the former they
suppose to be made with Christ, in the behalf of his elect; the latter,
to be made with them, in which all spiritual blessings are promised, and
applied to them, which are founded on Christ’s mediation; and
accordingly they say, the _covenant of redemption_ was made with Christ
more immediately for himself; whereas the _covenant of grace_ is made
with believers for Christ’s sake, in which respect they suppose that
these are two distinct covenants, and explain themselves thus.
1. In the covenant of redemption, made with Christ, there were several
promises given, which more immediately respected himself; and these
related, some of them, to those supports and encouragements that he
should receive from the Father, which were necessary, in order to his
being carried through the sufferings he was to undergo, _viz._ that God
_would hold his hand, that he should not fail, or be discouraged_, Isa.
xxiv. 4. and others respected that Mediatorial glory, which should be
conferred upon him, when his sufferings were finished; as it is said,
_Ought not Christ to have suffered, and to enter into his glory?_ Luke
xxiv. 26. and that _he should have a name given him above every name_,
Phil. ii. 9. and many other promises to the like purpose.
And, besides these, there were other promises made to him, respecting
his elect; as that _he should have a seed to serve him_, Psal. xxii, 30.
and that _he should see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied_;
and that _God would divide him a portion with the great, and he should
divide the spoil with the strong_, Isa. liii. 11, 12. or that his
difficult undertaking should be attended with its desired success, that
so it might not be said that he died in vain.
But, on the other hand, in the covenant of grace, which they suppose to
be distinct from that of redemption, God promiseth forgiveness of sins,
and eternal life, through Christ; or that that should be restored to us
by him, which we lost by our fall in Adam, with great advantage; and
that all the blessings, which we stand in need of, for the beginning,
carrying on, and completing the work of grace in us, and the making us
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, should
be freely given us. Now, as these promises are made to the elect, the
covenant, in which they are contained, is called, _The covenant of
grace_, and so distinguished from the covenant of redemption.
2. In the covenant of redemption, as they farther explain it, the elect,
on whose account it was made, were considered, as to be redeemed by
Christ: But, in the covenant of grace, they are to be considered as
redeemed by him; therefore the covenant of redemption is antecedent, or
subservient, to the covenant of grace.
3. They farther suppose, that the conditions of the covenant of
redemption, on which the promises made therein were founded, are what
Christ did and suffered in his own Person; whereas faith, wrought in us,
is generally styled by them, a condition of the covenant of grace, and
as such it is variously explained, as we shall have occasion to observe,
under the next answer, in which faith is said to be required, as the
condition to interest believers therein; in this respect, among others,
the covenant of redemption is oftentimes explained, as a distinct
covenant from that of grace.
I confess, I am not desirous to offend against the generation of those
who have insisted on this subject, in such a way, as that they have not
advanced any doctrine derogatory to the divine perfections, or
subversive of the grace of God, displayed in this covenant; and
therefore I am inclined to think, as some have done, that this
controversy may be compromised; or, if we duly weigh those distinctions
that are necessary to be considered, it will appear to be little more
than what consists in different modes of explication, used by those,
who, in the main, intend the same thing. I shall therefore humbly offer
my thoughts, about this matter, in the four following heads.
(1.) It is to be allowed, on all hands, that the covenant of redemption,
as some style it, is a covenant of the highest grace, so far as it
respects the advantages that the elect are to receive from it; for it is
a wonderful instance of grace, that there should be an eternal
transaction between the Father and the Son, relating to their salvation,
and that herein he should promise to Christ, that, as the reward of his
obedience and sufferings, he would give grace and glory to them, as it
is allowed by all, who have just notions, either of the covenant of
redemption, or that of grace, that he did herein.
(2.) It must be farther allowed, on both sides, whether it be supposed
that the covenant of grace, and the covenant of redemption, are distinct
covenants, or not, that salvation, and all the blessings, which we
generally call privileges of the covenant of grace, have their first
foundation in this transaction, between the Father and the Son; so that
if there had not been such a covenant, which some call a covenant of
redemption, we could have had no promise of these privileges made in the
covenant of grace.
(3.) As there is nothing promised, or given, in the covenant of grace,
but what is purchased and applied by Christ, so there is nothing
promised to Christ, in the covenant of redemption, as some style it, but
what, some way or other, respects the advantage of his people: thus
whatever was stipulated between the Father and the Son, in that
covenant, was with a peculiar regard to their salvation. Did Christ, as
their surety, promise to pay that debt, which was due from them, to the
justice of God? this must be considered, as redounding to their
advantage. And, was there a promise given him, as was before observed,
that God _would hold his hand, that he should not fail, or be
discouraged_, till he had finished the work that he came about? this
must also be supposed to redound to our advantage as hereby our
salvation is secured, which it could not have been, had he sunk under
the weight of that wrath, which he bore. And, was there a promise given
him, that he should, after his sufferings, _enter into his glory?_ this
also redounds to the advantage of the elect; for it not only consists in
his being freed from his sufferings, and having some personal glories
put upon him, but in his going thither to prepare a place for them, and
with this design, that they should be brought there _to behold his
glory_; and this is also considered, as a pledge and earnest of their
future happiness, to whom he says, _Because I live, ye shall live also_,
John xiv. 19.
(4.) When we consider this covenant, as made with Christ, whether we
call it the covenant of redemption, or of grace, still we must look upon
it as made with him, as the Head and Representative of his elect, and
consequently it was made with them, as is observed in this answer, as
his seed; therefore if the question be only this, whether it be more or
less proper to call this two covenants, or one, I will not contend with
them, who in compliance with the common mode of speaking, assert, that
they are two distinct covenants: but yet I would rather choose to call
them two great branches of the same covenant; one whereof respects what
Christ was to do and suffer, and the glory that he was to be afterwards
possessed of; the other more immediately respects that salvation, which
was to be treasured up in and applied by him to the elect; and therefore
I cannot but think, that what is contained in this answer, that the
covenant of grace was made with Christ, as the Head, and, in him, with
the elect, as his seed, is a very unexceptionable explication of this
doctrine.
VII. Since we frequently read, in scripture, of God’s entering into
covenant with man, and man with him, this is next to be explained, in
such a way, as is consistent with the divine perfections, and, in order
hereto, we have, in our entrance on this subject, enquired[95] into the
grammatical sense of the word _covenant_, and the common acceptation
thereof in scripture, when applied to any transaction between God and
man, and have shewn, that, however, there may be stipulation and
re-stipulation, and thereby a passing over of mutual rights, from one
party concerned to the other, in covenants between man and man; yet that
this cannot, consistently with the glory of God, and that infinite
distance which there is between him and the creature, be applied to the
covenant of grace, and have produced some scriptures to prove, that the
main thing to be considered therein, is God’s promising the blessings
that accompany salvation to his people.
Other scriptures might have been referred to, to the same purpose, in
which, when God is said to make a covenant with his people, we read of
nothing but promises of temporal, or spiritual privileges, which he
would confer on them: thus, when he made a covenant with Abraham, he
says, _Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt,
unto the great river, the river Euphrates_, Gen. xv. 18. and elsewhere
he says, _This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel, I will put my law in their inward parts,_[96] _and write it in
their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. They
shall all know me, from the least to the greatest of them; for I will
forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more_, Jer.
xxxi. 33, 34. We might also consider the description hereof, as it is
called, _A covenant of promise_, Eph. ii. 12. and they, who are
interested herein, as called, _The children of promise_, Gal. iv. 28.
Nevertheless, God has ordained, that, pursuant to this method of
applying the promises of this covenant, none should have ground to
expect to be made partakers thereof, but in such a way, as tends to set
forth his infinite sovereignty, and unalienable right to obedience from
his creatures, which they are bound to perform, not only as subjects,
under a natural obligation to obey the divine law, but as those who are
laid under a super-added engagement thereunto, by the grace of the
covenant. This will prepare the way for what may be farther said, in
order to our understanding the meaning of those scriptures, that speak
of God’s entering into a covenant with man, and man with him. Therefore
let it be observed,
1. That when God entered into a covenant with Christ, as the Head of his
elect, this included his entering into covenant with them; as it is
expressed in this answer; so that they have their respective concern
therein in all things, excepting what relates to his character, as
Mediator, Redeemer, Surety, and those peculiar branches of this
covenant, which, as was before observed, belong only to himself, which
some call the covenant of redemption, as distinct from the covenant of
grace. From hence it may be observed, without any strain on the sense of
words, that the same covenant that was made with him, was in that
peculiar branch thereof that respected the elect, or the privileges that
they were to receive from him, made with them. This is very agreeable
to, and tends to explain that peculiar mode of speaking, often used by
the apostle Paul, concerning believers being _crucified with Christ_,
Gal. ii. 20. _dead_, Rom. vi. 8. _buried_, ver. 4. _quickened_ or
_risen_, Col. ii. 12. compared with chap. iii. 1. and made to _sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus_, Eph. ii. 6, as denoting
their being made partakers, as his members, of the benefits arising from
Christ’s sufferings and glory, as really as though they had suffered,
and were now actually glorified with him.
2. Since the covenant of grace is sometimes called a covenant of
promise, for the reasons before-mentioned, we may easily understand
hereby, that God’s entering into covenant with his people, signifies his
giving, or making known to them, those great and precious promises, that
are contained therein, which have a more immediate reference to their
salvation; and, on the other hand, his keeping covenant with them,
implies, his bestowing on them the blessings promised in it, which is
otherwise called his _remembering his holy covenant_, Luke i. 72. or his
_performing the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which he had
sworn unto them from the days of old_, Micah. vii. 20. and it is
sometimes called his _shewing them his covenant_, Psal. xxv. 14. not
barely in a way of revelation, but special application of the blessings
contained therein, and his _bringing them into the bond of the
covenant_, Ezek. xx. 37. that is, engaging or obliging them to
obedience, from the constraints of his love and grace, manifested in the
promises of this covenant; so that now they are doubly bound to be his,
not only as he is their Creator and Sovereign, but as he has made them,
by this federal transaction, the peculiar objects of his favour and
grace.
3. When God is pleased, as he often does, to annex to this covenant a
demand of faith, repentance, or any other graces, to be exercised by
those, who may claim an interest in the blessings thereof, this is
agreeable to that idea, which, as was before observed, is contained in
this covenant, by which it is denominated an establishment, or divine
appointment, or, as it is sometimes called, _a statute_, Numb. xviii.
19. Psal. l. 16. and this respects the connexion of those graces with
salvation, and their indispensible obligation thereto, who hope to
attain it. But this is rather a consequence of God’s entering into
covenant with them, than an antecedent condition, stipulated by him,
which would infer a kind of suspense in him, whether he should fulfil
his promise or no, till the conditions were performed. This is the
principal thing we militate against, when we except against the use of
the word _stipulation_, with relation hereunto; whereas, if nothing else
were intended by this word, but the necessary connexion, which God has
ordained, that there should be between the blessings promised, and the
grace demanded in this covenant, as some, who use the word, understand
nothing else by it; I would not contend about persons using, or laying
aside an improper, and, I think, I may say, unscriptural mode of
speaking.
Thus concerning the meaning of God’s entering into covenant with man. We
shall now proceed to the latter branch of this head, namely, what we are
to understand by those scriptures that speak of man’s entering into
covenant with God: such a mode of speaking we have, when Moses says to
the people, _Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God, that
thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his
oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day_, Deut. xxix.
10-12. and it is said elsewhere, _The people entered into a covenant to
seek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their hearts, and with all
their soul_, 2 Chron. xv. 12. and that, _Josiah made a covenant before
the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his
testimonies, and his statutes with all their heart, and with all their
soul, to perform the words of this covenant, that were written in this
book, and all the people stood to the covenant_, 2 Kings xxiii. 3. This
is a most solemn transaction, and includes in it the very essentials of
practical religion; therefore it is necessary for us to enquire, what we
are to understand thereby; and, since scripture is the best interpreter
of itself, and parallel texts give light to each other, we may observe
what is said elsewhere, upon the like occasion, where God speaks of some
that _chuse the things that please him, love the name of the Lord, and
to be his servants, and take hold of his covenant_, Isa. lvi. 4, 6. so
that to enter into covenant, is to take hold of God’s covenant; to
embrace the blessings promised therein, as the apostle speaks of those
_who died in faith, not having received the promises_, or the blessings
promised, but _having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them_, Heb. xi. 13. Again, as we receive the blessings of
the covenant by faith, so to enter into covenant with God implies, a
professed dedication of ourselves to a covenant-God, with a due sense of
our obligation to yield that obedience, which we are engaged to thereby,
or a declaration that we pretend not to lay claim to the blessings of
the covenant, without being enabled, by his grace to comply with the
demands thereof; and this is sometimes expressed, by swearing to the
Lord, as it is said, _Unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue
shall swear_, Isa. xlv. 23. As God, when he enters into a covenant with
man, is sometimes said to swear to him, or to confirm his promise by his
oath, upon which account the covenant of grace is sometimes called his
oath, as in one of the scriptures before-mentioned, and others that
might have been referred to, Luke i. 72, 73. so, on the other hand, our
entering into covenant with him, is our swearing fealty, as subjects do
to their princes, whereby they own them to be their rightful governors,
and themselves under an obligation to serve them.
This is farther explained, in that solemn transaction that passed
between God and his people, in the close of the ministry and life of
Moses, Deut. xxvi. 17, 18. by which we may understand what is meant, in
other places, by God’s entering into covenant with them; this is
expressed by his _avouching them to be his peculiar people, as he had
promised them, and that they should keep all his commandments_; _q. d._
he conferred this privilege upon them with that view, that they might
reckon themselves under the highest obligation to be obedient to him;
and then we have an explication of man’s entering into covenant with
God, when it is said, _Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy
God_, that is, thou hast publicly declared, that thou art willing to be
subject to him, as thy covenant-God, and expressed a ready inclination,
pursuant hereunto, to walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his
commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: this is
such an entering into covenant, as is incumbent on all who expect the
blessing thereof; and, if any one intends nothing more than this by
restipulation, when he uses the word in explaining this doctrine, I will
not contend with him; but, since it is to use a word without its proper
ideas, which others annex to it, I humbly conceive this doctrine may be
better explained without it.
Footnote 89:
ברית.
Footnote 90:
διαθηκη.
Footnote 91:
Rather, “ratified over a dead body,” an ancient mode of covenanting.
Footnote 92:
_These style it, Testamento Foedus, or Foedus Testamentarium, or
Testamentum Foederale._
Footnote 93:
_The Hebrew word in this, and the two other scriptures above
mentioned, is_ ערב _which signifies_, In fidem suam recipere; spondere
pro aliquo; _and it is used in several other scriptures, in the same
sense, for a person’s undertaking to be a surety for another. See
Gen._ xliii. _6. chap._ xliv. _32. Prov._ xi. _15. Job_ xvii. _3. 2
Kings_ xviii. _32. and elsewhere._
Footnote 94:
Διατιθεμαι υμιν, καθως διεθετο μοι ο πατηρ μου βασιλειαν.
Footnote 95:
_See Page 168. ante._
Footnote 96:
We are not to suppose that _they shall not teach every man_, &c. is
designed to exclude all public and private, ministerial, family, and
social instruction; for this is founded on the law of nature, and is
enforced in the New Testament institution of a gospel-ministry to
continue to the consummation of all things, (_Matth._ xxviii. 20. and
_Eph._ iv. 11, 12, 13.) and in the obligation that it has laid upon
_Christian parents_ to _bring up their children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord_; (Eph. vi. 4.) as also in the directions that
are given in this very epistle, _chap._ iii. 13. and x. 24, 25. to
_private_ Christians, to _exhort one another daily_, &c. This passage
therefore must be taken, either in a _comparative_ sense, as such
expressions often are: (See _Isa._ xliii. 18. _Jer._ xxiii. 18. and
_Mat._ ix. 13) Or else with reference to _that manner_ of teaching
which was used, and rested in under the obscurities of the Old
Testament dispensation, and the corrupt interpretations of the
_Jewish_ doctors; or both may be included. _Guyse._
Quest. XXXII.
QUEST. XXXII. _How is the grace of God manifested in the second
covenant?_
ANSW. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant in that
he freely provideth, and offereth to sinners a Mediator, and life
and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to
interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all
his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces,
and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the
truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which
he hath appointed to salvation.
Since the covenant, which we have begun to consider, is called the
covenant of grace, it is necessary for us to shew in what respects the
grace of God is manifested therein; and, in order thereunto, we may
observe,
I. That life and salvation, which are very comprehensive blessings,
containing all that sinful creatures stand in need of, are promised
herein. Hereby the grace of God is more eminently illustrated than it
was in the first covenant; in which though life was promised, yet there
was no promise of salvation, or of the recovery of a forfeited life.
This is only brought to light by the gospel, which contains a glorious
discovery of the grace of this covenant: the blessings promised therein,
are, grace here, and glory hereafter; all which are contained in that
promise, _I will be a God to thee_, that is, I will deal with thee in
such a way, as that all my divine perfections shall contribute to thy
happiness. And sometimes when God reveals himself as a covenant-God, he
promises, as he did to Abraham, that _he will be their shield, and their
exceeding great reward_, Gen. xv. 1. And there are other promises
respecting the forgiveness of sin; as when God says, _I, even I, am he
that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not
remember thy sins_, Isa. xliii. 25. and, that we may consider this in
its utmost extent, the apostle says as much as can be expressed in
words, which is the consequence of God’s being a covenant-God to his
people, when he tells them, _All things are yours, whether Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come; all are yours_, 1 Cor. iii. 22.
II. Man could not have been made partaker of these invaluable blessings
contained in this covenant, without the interposition of a Mediator; for
he no sooner rebelled against God, but he was separated from his
presence and deprived of all those blessings, which he might otherwise
have expected; and, on the other hand, the holiness and justice of God
obliged him to testify his displeasure against him, whereby he was
utterly excluded from all hope of obtaining any blessings from him: the
perfections of the divine nature rendered it necessary that a
satisfaction for sin committed, should be insisted on; and this could
not be given by man in his own person, nor could he reasonably expect
that God should receive him into favour without it, as having rendered
himself guilty in his sight, and so liable to condemnation. Therefore,
since he could do nothing that had any tendency to repair the injuries
which he had offered to the divine justice, if ever he have access to
God, and acceptance in his sight, it must be in and through a Mediator;
which leads us to consider what we are to understand, by a mediator, and
what was to be done by him, in order to the procuring this favour.
A mediator, in general, is one who interposes between two parties that
are at variance, in order to make peace; and this he does, either by
endeavouring to persuade the party offended to lay aside his resentment,
and forgive the injury, which is a less proper sense of the word; or
else by making an overture of satisfaction, as an inducement hereunto.
In the former sense it would have been an affront to the divine Majesty,
and an injury to his justice, for any one to desire that God should be
reconciled, without a satisfaction given; in the latter, we are to
understand the word _Mediator_, when applied to Christ, in this answer.
He is not therefore herein to be considered barely as a Mediator of
intercession, as pleading that God would remit the debt, out of his mere
sovereignty or grace; but as a Mediator of satisfaction, or a Surety,
entering into an obligation to answer all the demands of justice. In
this respect, he is the Mediator of the covenant; whereas, when he is
sent, by God, to reveal, or make known the blessings thereof to man, he
is styled, _The Messenger of the covenant_, Mal. iii. 1. It was possible
for a mere creature to perform the work of a mediator, in this lower,
and less proper sense of the word; or, provided satisfaction were given
to the justice of God, to intercede with him for the sinner, or intreat
him to turn away from the fierceness of his wrath, which sin deserved,
in which sense Moses is styled a _mediator_, and in no other[97]; so
some understand that text, as spoken of him, when the apostle says, Gal.
iii. 19. of the law, that _it was ordained by angels, in the hand of a
mediator_[98]; and, agreeably hereunto, Moses says, _I stood between the
Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord; for, you
were afraid, by reason of the fire_, Deut. v. 5. and elsewhere, after
Israel had sinned, in worshipping the golden calf, he says, _You have
sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord: peradventure, I
shall make an atonement for your sin_, Exod. xxxii. 30. not that he was
to be accounted a mediator of satisfaction, for the atonement he hoped
to make, was by entreaty, or humble supplication, that God would not
destroy them, as they had deserved. This I call a less proper sense of
the word _Mediator_; whereas, in this answer, Christ is styled a
Mediator, in the same sense in which he was a Redeemer, or Surety, for
man, or made a proper atonement to procure reconciliation between God
and man by his blood, of which more will be considered, when we speak
concerning Christ’s priestly office.
III. It is a very great instance of grace, that God should admit of a
Mediator, who might have exacted the debt of us in our own persons; and,
we being unable to pay it, might have punished us with everlasting
destruction. That he was not obliged to admit of a Mediator, will
appear, if we consider the nature of the debt due from us, who were
obliged to perform perfect obedience, or else to suffer punishment; and
therefore he might have refused to have allowed of this to be performed
by another, in our stead: in this case, it is not like as when pecuniary
debts are paid, which cannot be refused by the creditor, though paid by
one that is surety for the debtor. But, since this will be more
particularly considered, when we speak concerning the satisfaction which
Christ gave to the justice of God, as our great High-Priest, all that we
shall add, concerning it, at present, is, that it was an instance of
that grace, which was displayed in the covenant, in which Christ is
considered as a Mediator of satisfaction.
IV. The grace of God farther appears, in that he not only admitted of a
Mediator, but provided one. It was impossible for fallen man to find out
any one that would so much as plead his cause, or speak a word in his
behalf, till satisfaction were first given; and no mere creature could
pay unto God a ransom that was worthy of his acceptance, or available,
to answer the end designed thereby. If the best of creatures had
undertaken the work, it would have miscarried in his hands: How
deplorable and hopeless then must the condition of fallen man for ever
have been, if God had not found out the expedient himself to bring about
our redemption! this was a blessing unthought of, unasked for by him. I
will not deny but that man might have some ideas of the divinity and
glory of the second Person in the Godhead, as the doctrine of the
Trinity was revealed to him, while in a state of innocency, as it was
necessary that it should be, in order to his worshipping of each of the
divine Persons, and I doubt not but he retained some ideas hereof when
fallen. But it may be questioned, whether he knew that it was possible
for the Son of God to be incarnate; or suppose, for argument-sake, we
allow that he had some idea of the possibility thereof; yet he could
never have known that he was willing to submit to this astonishing
instance of condescension, and thereby to put himself in the sinner’s
room, that he might procure that redemption that was necessary for him.
This mystery of the divine will was hid in God, and therefore could
never have been known by him without revelation, and consequently would
not have afforded him any matter of relief in his deplorable state. How
wonderful therefore was the grace of God, that he should find out this
expedient, and lay help on one that is mighty, or provide one to do that
for him, which none else could have done!
And to this we may add, that it was no less an instance of divine grace,
that God the Son should consent to perform this work for him: his
undertaking it, was without the least force or compulsion; for that
would have been inconsistent with his consenting to become a Surety for
us, and, as such, to suffer in our room and stead, since all punishment
must either be deserved by him, that bears it, or else voluntarily
submitted to: The former of these can by no means be said of Christ; for
a personal desert of punishment is inconsistent with his spotless
purity, and would have rendered the price, laid down by him for our
redemption, invalid; therefore he voluntarily condescended to engage in
this work. He gave his life a ransom for many; and this is considered as
a peculiar display of grace in him, as the apostle expresses it, _Ye
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet,
for your sakes, he became poor, that ye, through his poverty, might be
rich_, 2 Cor. viii. 9.
V. This Mediator being provided for man, without his desert or
expectation, we proceed to consider him as offered to him, and, together
with him, life and salvation. This is the great design of the gospel, to
discover, or make an overture hereof to him; without this, the gospel
could not be preached, nor a visible publication made of the grace of
the covenant contained herein: but, since the overture of grace, or the
call of God to accept of, and embrace Christ, as offered in the gospel,
is more particularly considered under a following answer[99], we shall
reserve the farther consideration of this matter to it.
VI. It is farther said, in this answer, that the grace of God is
manifested in the second covenant, in his requiring faith, as the
condition to interest believers in Christ. This expression may be
allowed of, or excepted against, according to the method taken to
explain it, which we shall endeavour to do, and therein shew in what
sense we deny the covenant of grace to be conditional; and then enquire,
whether there be not another sense, agreeable to the divine perfections,
in which these words may be understood, and other expressions, of the
like nature, frequently used by divines, in which faith is styled a
condition thereof; and accordingly we shall enquire,
1. What we are to understand by a person’s having an interest in Christ.
This implies our having a right to claim him, as our Mediator, Surety,
Advocate, and Saviour, and with him all those spiritual blessings, which
are purchased and applied by him to those whom he has redeemed; so that
such an one may say, upon good grounds, Christ is mine, together with
_all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him_.
Here let it be considered, that it is one thing to say, that Christ is
the Redeemer and Saviour of man, or, in particular, of his elect, who
are given to him for this end; and another thing for a person to say, he
is my Redeemer or Saviour: the former of these is a truth, founded in
scripture-revelation; and accordingly every one may say, as Moses
expresses it, _Yea, he loved the people_, Deut. xxxiii. 3. or his
peculiar chosen people; or, as the apostle says, _Christ loved the
church, and gave himself for it_, Eph. v. 25. But he, who has an
interest in Christ, has a right to claim him, as his Saviour, and
therefore may say, with the apostle, _He loved me, and gave himself for
me_, Gal. ii. 20. This I rather choose to express, by a believer’s
having a right to claim him as his Saviour, than his being actually
enabled so to do, inasmuch as many have an interest in Christ, who are
destitute of that assurance, which would give them a comfortable sense
thereof in their own souls.
2. We are now to consider how faith is said to be required, as the
condition to interest us in Christ; or how far this expression may be
qualified and explained, without asserting any thing derogatory to the
glory of God, or the grace of the covenant. The word _condition_, though
often used when we speak of contracts between man and man, as an
essential ingredient therein, is not so plainly contained in those
explications of the covenant of grace, which we have in scripture; and,
whenever we use it, with a particular application thereunto, we must
understand it in such a sense, as is agreeable to the divine
perfections. Therefore, that we may compare these two senses of the word
_condition_ together, in order to our determining how far it may be
used, or laid aside, in explaining this doctrine, let us consider,
(1.) That in human covenants, in which things are promised on certain
conditions, these conditions are supposed to be possible to be
performed, otherwise the promise, depending thereon, is rendered void,
and it contains no other than a virtual denial to make it good. Thus the
king of Israel did not, at first, understand the message sent him by the
king of Syria, requiring of him to heal Naaman of his leprosy, as a
condition of peace and friendship between them; and the inference he
makes from it was, that he had a design to seek a quarrel against him;
and his reasoning would have been just, had it been intended in this
sense, since the condition was not in his own power. Moreover, if a
master should tell his servant, that he would give him a reward, in case
he would perform the work of ten days in one, he would conclude nothing
else from it, but that he was resolved not to give him any thing. Now,
to apply this to our present purpose, we must consider whether faith,
when it is a condition of the covenant of grace, be in our own power or
no. There are some external acts thereof, indeed, which are so; but
these are too low to be deemed conditions of salvation, or of the
blessings of the covenant of grace; and as for those acts which are
supernatural, or the effects of the exceeding greatness of the power of
God, though they are inseparably connected with salvation, yet they are
not in our power; so as that we may conclude, that they are proposed as
conditions, in the same sense as those things are said to be, that are
supposed to contain this ingredient in them.
In this respect, the covenant of grace, as to the conditionality of it,
differs from the covenant of innocency, in which perfect obedience,
which was the condition thereof, was so far in man’s power, that he
could have performed it, without the superadded assistance of divine
grace: but when, on the other hand, perfect obedience is considered, as
a condition of fallen man’s _entering into life_, in which sense our
Saviour’s reply to the young man’s question, in Matt. xix. 17. is
understood by many, this is a plain intimation that eternal life is not
to be obtained this way, inasmuch as the condition is impossible.
(2.) When conditions are insisted on, in human covenants, it is
generally supposed, that though it be possible for the person, that
enjoins them, to assist, and enable him, who is under this obligation,
to perform them, yet he will not give him that assistance; for, if he
does, the contract can hardly be reckoned conditional, but absolute:
thus if a creditor should tell an insolvent debtor, that he will
discharge him, provided he pays the debt, and, at the same time, gives
him to understand that he will supply him with a sum of money, that
shall enable him to do it, this is altogether the same as though he had
discharged him, without any conditional demand of payment. This I cannot
but mention, because there are some persons, who speak of faith, as a
condition of the covenant of grace, and, at the same time, take it for
granted, that it is not in our own power to perform it: nevertheless,
since God has promised that he will work it in us, they conclude it to
be conditional; whereas such a promise as this would render the covenant
absolute, or, at least, not conditional, in the same sense, in which
human covenants are, and only infer what we do not deny, that there is a
necessary connexion between that grace, which God will enable us to
perform, and salvation, which he has promised in this covenant.
(3.) When any thing is promised to another, on condition that he do what
is enjoined on him, it is generally supposed that it is a dubious and
uncertain matter whether this condition shall be fulfilled, and the
promise take place; or, as I may express it, every condition contains
not a necessary, but an uncertain connexion between the promised
advantage, and the duty enjoined, and that for this reason, because all
human covenants depend on the power and will of men, who are under
conditional engagements to perform what is demanded therein; and these
are supposed to be mutable and defective, and, as far as they are so,
the performance of the condition may be reckoned dubious; and he that
made the promise is liable to the same uncertainty, whether he shall
make it good or no. This will hardly be denied, by those who defend the
other side of the question, who, in explaining the nature of human
liberty, generally suppose, that every one, who acts freely, might do
the contrary; therefore they must, from hence, conclude, that, if the
performing the conditions of a covenant be the result of man’s free
will, it is possible for him not to perform them, and therefore it must
be a matter of uncertainty, whether a person, who promises a reward upon
the performance of these conditions, will confer it or no. But, however
this may be applied to human covenants, we are not to suppose that
faith, or any other grace, is, in this respect, a condition of the
covenant of grace, as though God’s conferring the blessings promised
therein were dependent on the will of man, as determining itself to the
exercise of these graces; in this respect, we cannot but deny the
covenant of grace to be conditional.
(4.) If we take an estimate of the worth and value of a condition
enjoined, the advantages that he, who enjoins it, expects to receive
from it, or the reference that the performance thereof has to the
procuring the blessing promised, in which case the person, who has
fulfilled it, may be said to merit, or have whereof to glory in himself,
as to what concerns the part he has performed therein: this must not be
applied to any transaction between God and man, and therefore is wholly
to be excluded from those ideas, which are contained in the word
_condition_, when applied to the covenant of grace, as will be allowed
by most, who do not give into the Popish doctrine of the merit of good
works. Concerning the worth and value of faith, and all other graces, I
would not be thought, in the least, to depreciate or divest them of that
excellency, which they have, above all other effects of God’s power and
blessings of providence; whereas certainly we ought to bless God for
them, or glory in him, as the Author of them: but that which we would
fence against in this matter, is nothing more than what our Saviour
does, when he says, _When ye shall have done all those things which are
commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants_, Luke xvii. 10. And I
would not have any one suppose, that whatever condition is performed by
us, has such a value put on it, as that eternal life is hereupon due to
us, in a way of debt, which would make way for boasting. It is true, the
conditions which Christ performed in that branch of the covenant, which
more immediately respected himself, which some call the covenant of
redemption, were properly meritorious, and the blessings he purchased
thereby were given him in a way of debt, and not as an undeserved
favour: but, if we suppose that there is the same reference of faith, or
any other grace acted by us, to that salvation, which we expect, we turn
the covenant of grace into a covenant of works, and resolve that into
ourselves which is due to God alone.
But since many excellent divines have asserted faith to be a condition
of the covenant of grace, who do not understand the word _condition_,
either as containing in it any thing dubious or uncertain on the one
hand, or meritorious on the other; and probably they choose to express
themselves so, in compliance with custom, and to explain away the common
ideas of the word _condition_, as applied to human covenants, rather
than altogether to lay it aside; and, it may be, they do this, lest they
should be thought to deny the necessary connexion between faith and
salvation: I shall therefore, for the same reason, conclude this head
with the following propositions, whereby our not using the word
_condition_, may be vindicated, from any just exception; or, our using
of it may not appear to be inconsistent with the divine perfections, or
the grace of this covenant. Therefore,