A Discourse of the Covenants, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
A General Introduction to the following Diſcourſe. §. 1. The particular deſign of this Chapter propoſed. A Covenant to be conſidered either on the part of God, as propoſed by him, or as Man enters thereinto. God is firſt in propoſing a Covenant to Men. Covenant-Intereſt compleated by Reſtipulation. No Covenant of mutual benefits betwixt God and Men. §. 2. The general notion of a Covenant as propoſed by God. This further explained, with ſome neceſſary Conſequences of it, in ſeven particulars. §. 3. God hath always dealt with men about their future ſtate in a way of Covenant. Some Conſectaries of it. §. 4. His Covenant always tranſacted with ſome Head, or repreſentative for others. §. 5. Some general Inferences, and Directions for the right underſtanding of Covenant-Tranſactions. §. 6.
THE great Intereſt of Man's preſent Peace, and eternal Happineſs, is moſt nearly concerned in Religion; and all true Religion, ſince the fall of Man, muſt be taught by divine Revelation, which God *Heb. 1. 1, 2. foreign, Deus non ſemel olim omnia, ſed particulatim, deinde etia… de…erſis modis ſus notitiam ac cultum declaravit. per Prophetas, quò propius dies imminebat, eo clariorem lucem edentes. Bez.by diverſe parts, and after a diverſe manner hath given out to his Church, cauſing this Light gradually to encreaſe, until the whole Myſtery of his Grace was perfectly revealed in and by Jeſus Chriſt; in whom are hid all the treaſures of Wiſdom and Knowledg. And that God unto whom all his Works were known from the beginning, hath in all ages diſpoſed and ordered the Revelation of his Will to Men, his Tranſactions with them, & all the works of his holy Providence towards them, with a *Deus in omnibus Actionibus priſci ſeculi, ſemper ob oculos habebat tempora Meſſia, Grot.Reſpect unto the fulneſs of time, and the gathering of all things unto an Head in Chriſt Jeſus therein: So that in all our ſearch after the mind of God in the holy Scriptures, we are to manage our Enquiries with a reſpect to Chriſt. And therefore the beſt Interpreter of the Old Teſtament, is the holy Spirit ſpeaking to us in the New; becauſe there we have the cleareſt Light of the Knowledg of the Glory of God ſhining upon us, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, by unveiling thoſe counſels of Love and Grace that were hidden from former Ages and Generations. Nevertheleſs the greater Light of the New Teſtament doth no way abate the uſefulneſs of the Old; but rather obligeth us the more to an humble and diligent Study thereof; and that (as on many other accounts, ſo, for this reaſon alſo) becauſe the Myſtery of the Goſpel cannot be throughly apprehended by us, without ſome good underſtanding of the Oeconomy of the Law, yea, and alſo of the State of things before the Law; the mutual reſpect and dependence of the Old and New Teſtament being ſuch, as neither can be underſtood apart, or without the other, nor an intire Syſ…eme of Truth, as it is in Jeſus, collected, but from both.
It muſt be acknowledged therefore to be of great uſe and concern to us, to be well acquainted with thoſe Tranſactions of God with Men, and his Diſpenſations towards them, that are recorded in the ſacred Hiſtory of the firſt Ages of the World, and the Church of God therein. And in this Enquiry, I ſhall at preſent ingage my ſelf, ſo f…r as thoſe times reach that preceded the giving of the Law by Moſes, and no farther. And in the performance of this (to avoid tediouſneſs in repeating what hath been by others handled at large, and fully cleared) I ſhall for the moſt part confine my ſelf to brief Obſervations upon the Records of theſe things, as left to us in the holy Scriptures; and more largely inſiſt on ſuch Paſſages only, as I conceive not to have been ſo fully ſpoken to by others, or at leaſt not handled in that Method and Order, as to me ſeems moſt ſuited to the nature of the things treated of, and ſo moſt apt to convey a clear notion of them to our Minds.
§. 2. And foraſmuch as thoſe Tranſactions of God with Men, which in this Enquiry we ſhall meet with, are of a Foederal Nature, it will be requiſite that in the firſt place, ſomething be ſpoken of Covenant-Relation to God in general.
The original Words whereby a Covenant, making, ſtriking, or entring into Covenant are ſignified, with their various uſe, and application to particular Caſes Vid. Cooceii de foedere. ca. 1. & R…et. in Gen. Exerc. 53.and Occaſions, have been fully explained by many; and therefore paſſing that, as to our preſent purpoſe, it will be enough to mind you,
That a Covenant is to be conſidered, either ſimply as propoſed by God, or as Man enters thereinto by Reſtipulation. For,
1. Whatſoever is tranſacted in a foederal way betwixt God and Men, God hath the firſt hand in it. As Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples in another caſe, that they had not choſen him, but he had choſen them; ſo may we ſay, Man hath not at any time entred into Covenant with God, but God hath entred into Covenant with Man; ſeeing it only belongs to his Soveraign Majeſty, and is the fruit of his infinite Goodneſs to propoſe, as of his Wiſdom to chooſe and order the Terms of a Covenant-relation between himſelf and his Creatures; And therefore the Covenant that he hath made with Men, is frequently in Scripture ſaid to be the Lord's Covenant, as in Pſal. 25. 14. Iſa. 56. 4, 6. and other places. Howbeit,
2. Covenant-relation to God, and Intereſt in him, doth not immediately reſult from the propoſal of a Covenant, and Terms of Covenant-relation to Man; but it is by Reſtipulation that he actually enters into Covenant with God, and becomes an intereſſed Party in the Covenant; it is a mutual Conſent of the parties in Covenant, that ſtates, and compleats a Covenant-Relation; and this is called an avouching of the Lord to be their God; by conſent to the Terms of a Covenant propoſed to them Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18. a ſubſcribing with the hand unto the Lord, Iſa. 44. 5. and taking hold of his Covenant, Chap. 56. 4, 6. The formal notion of a Covenant entred or made, includes Mutual Ingagement. But yet,
3. There can be no Covenant of mutual benefits betwixt God and Men, as there may be betwixt one man and another; for all Creatures do neceſſarily depend upon, and have both their Being and Wel-Being from the Bounty of their Creator; there is nothing that they have not received from him, and therefore the moſt perfect of them can render nothing to him, but what is due by the Law of their Creation. None can be profitable to God, tho' he that is righteous, may be ſo both to himſelf, Job 35. 7, 8. Rom. 11. 35, 36.and his Neighbour; and therefore none can oblige God, or make him their Debtor, unleſs he condeſcend to oblige himſelf by Covenant or Promiſe.
§. 3. The general notion of any Covenant of God with Men, conſidered on the part of God, or as propoſed by him, may be thus conceived of, That it is,
*Eſt enim Dei Foedus nihil aliud quam divina declaratio de ratione percipiendi amoris Dei, & unione, ac communione ipſius potiendi. Cocceius de Foed.A declaration of his Soveraign Pleaſure concerning the Benefits he will beſtow on them, the Communion they ſhall have with him, and the way and means whereby this ſhallbe injoyed by them.
And for the better underſtanding of what I intend by this general Deſcription, I ſhall briefly propoſe ſome particulars, that are either included in it, or are the immediate and neceſſary conſequents of it, viz.
1. It implies a free and Soveraign Act of the Divine Will, exerted in condeſcending Love and Goodneſs; it is not from any neceſſity of Nature, that God enters into Covenant with Men, but of his own good Pleaſure. Such a priviledg, and nearneſs to God, as is included in Covenant-Intereſt, cannot immediately reſult from the relation which they have to God as Creatures, no not as reaſonable Creatures, tho' upright, and in a perfect ſtate; for the Lord owes not unto Man the Good promiſed in any Covenant he makes with him, antecedently; but his firſt Right therein, is freely given him by the promiſe of the Covenant.
2. The notion of a Covenant adds aſſurance to that of a promiſe, as it implies a ſpecial Bond of favour and friendſhip, which belongs unto Foederal-Intereſt and Relation; for a Covenant is the foundation of a ſpecial Relation betwixt the parties concerned therein; the kind and benefit of which Relation is determined by the Covenant it ſelf, the Nature, Promiſes, and End thereof.
3. The immediate and direct End therefore, of God's entring into Covenant with Man at any time (ſo far as concerns Man himſelf) is the advancing and bettering of his State; God did never make a Covenant with Man, wherein his Goodneſs to him was not abundantly manifeſt; yea ſuch is his infinite Bounty, that he hath propoſed no lower End to his Covenant-Tranſactions with Men, then the bringing of them into a bleſſed State in the eternal Fruition of himſelf; And therefore, when one Covenant (thro' the weakneſs of Man in his lapſed State) hath been found weak, and unprofitable, as to this great End of a Covenant, becauſe inſufficient to accompliſh it; God finds fault, aboliſheth it, and introduceth another, wherein full proviſion is made for the perfect Salvation of thoſe that have intereſt in it: Heb. 8. 7, 8.
4. The kindneſs, and condeſcending Love of God in entring into Covenant with Man, doth ſtrengthen that Bond of Love and Obedience to God, that he is under by the Law of his Creation, by adding a new Obligation thereunto; And therefore the Sin of Man in breaking Covenant with God riſes higher, and is accompanied with greater aggravations, than the bare Tranſgreſſion of a Law, if no ſuch Covenant-relation had been added thereunto. And therefore,
5. The Revelation of the Counſel of God's Will in a Covenant propoſed to Man, is ſo far from excluding a Reſtipulation on his part, as that it renders it a neceſſary duty upon him. It is not in this caſe as in Foederal Tranſactions betwixt Equals, where one is at liberty to refuſe the Covenant offered by the other Party; but the ſence of our infinite diſtance from God as Creatures, and the dependence we neceſſarily have upon him, and the duty we owe to him by the unalterable Law of our Creation, (as well as our own advantage and profit thereby) obligeth us with holy fear, and thankfulneſs, to accept both the Benefits he offers to us, and the Terms on which they are offered, in his Covenant; and diligently to perform what we are by him commanded, and directed to, for the Ends propoſed therein. But yet,
6. This Reſtipulation (and conſequently, the way, and manner of obtaining, as alſo the right in which we claim Covenant-Bleſſings) muſt of neceſſity vary, according to the different Nature and Terms of thoſe Covenants that God at any time makes with Men: if the Covenant be of Works, the Reſtipulation muſt be, by doing the things required in it, even by fulfilling its condition in a perfect obedience to the Law of it; and ſuitable hereunto, the reward is of Debt (underſtand it not of Debt abſolutely, but of Debt by compact) according the Terms of ſuch a Covenant. But if it be a Covenant of free and ſoveraign Grace, the Reſtipulation required, is an humble receiving, or hearty believing of thoſe gratuitous Promiſes on which the Covenant is eſtabliſhed; and accordingly the Reward or Covenant Bleſſing, is, immediately, and eminently of Grace.
7. Therefore the Good and Glory of any Covenant, that God makes with Men, whether it be conſidered abſolutely, or in compariſon with another Covenant, is chiefly to be meaſured by the Promiſes and Terms thereof; if one Covenant be eſtabliſhed upon better Promiſes (i. e. either promiſing a more excellent Good, or in a more excellent Way) then another, it is from thence denominated, and for that reaſon to be eſteemed, a better Covenant then the other. Heb. 8. 6.
§. 4. And together with theſe things, it may not be unſeaſonable in this place, farther to obſerve,
That the holy and wiſe God hath always dealt with the Children of Men in a way of Covenant; the Diſplay of infinite Goodneſs hath always accompanied the diſcovery of his infinite Glory in his dealing with Men; and therefore he hath not acted towards them, to the utmoſt Right of his Soveraignty and Dominion over them; had he ſo done, there had never been any reward of future Bleſſedneſs aſſigned, and made Due to their Obedience, as by Covenant there hath been; nor had they been brought into any nearer Relation to God, then that which did reſult from their Creation by him: But the great God hath not ſo kept his diſtance from Man, but that he hath condeſcended to come to Terms with him; and as he hath required Obedience in ſome things beyond the immediate dictates of the Law of Nature, by poſitive Inſtitutions; ſo he hath been pleaſed alſo to oblige himſelf, beyond the Debt of a Creator, by promiſe of a bountiful Reward. And hence it follows;
That as all the Worſhip and Obedience that God hath required of, and accepted from the Children of Men, hath been upon Covenant-Terms; ſo their Ability, or moral capacity, of walking in well-pleaſing before him, hath been alſo given to them, or wrought in them, purſuant to the ends of their Covenant-Relation; and therefore muſt be the inſeparable Adjunct (not of the bare propoſal of a Covenant to them, but) of that Covenant-Intereſt in which they have been ſtated. And of this, the conſequence is,
1. That perſons once fallen under the guilt of breach of Covenant, are by their own default utterly diſabled from yielding any acceptable Obedience to God upon the Terms of that Covenant, which they have violated; and in the Intereſt of that Covenant-relation which is forfeited and loſt by them; they remain under the paenal Sanction of the Covenant, but are utterly diſpoyled of Strength to anſwer the Ends of that Covenant, and have wholly loſt their Right in the Reward of it.
2. If they be without Strength, with reſpect to the Condition and end of that Covenant, which once they had Intereſt in, and Principles ſuited to; then are they ſo much more, while they remain in their lapſed ſtate, with reſpect unto the terms of another Covenant more excellent and myſterious, and wholly ſupernatural as to the Doctrine and Terms thereof. And therefore,
3. Spiritual Strength, and Ability to pleaſe God, can no way be reſtored to them, but by a new Covenant-intereſt, and that new Creation which is the adjunct thereof.
§. 5. This alſo is worthy to be noted by us, That thoſe Covenants which God hath made, wherein either Mankind in general, or ſome ſelect number of Men in particular have been concerned, it hath pleaſed him firſt to tranſact with ſome publick Perſon, Head, or Repreſentative, for all others that ſhould be concerned in them: Thus it was in the Covenant of Creation, which God made with Adam in his upright State, and with all Mankind in him; and the ſame is to be obſerved in the Noachical Covenant; as alſo in the Covenants made with Abraham, conſidered either as the Father of Believers, or of the Iſraelitiſh Nation; in the intereſt of a ſpiritual Relation to him, Believers claim the Bleſſings of the Covenant of Grace that was made with him; and in the intereſt of a natural Relation to him, his offſpring according to the fleſh did claim the Rights and Priviledges of that Covenant of Peculiarity which was firſt made with him as the Head of that ſeparate People; but more eminently, the Covenant of Grace is eſtabliſhed in Chriſt as the Head thereof; all its Promiſes were firſt given to him; and in him they are all Yea, and Amen: It is by Union to him that Believers obtain a new-Covenant-intereſt, and from him they derive a new Life, Grace, and Strength, to anſwer the Ends of the New-Covenant.
§. 6. Now as it is evident from what hath been already ſaid, that all foederal tranſactions of God with Men flow only form his good pleaſure, and the counſel of his Will; ſo upon that ground it is certainly to be concluded, that our Knowledg and Underſtanding of them, muſt wholly depend upon Divine Revelation; none can pretend acquaintance with the Secret of God, but as he hath pleaſed to reveal it in his Word; this Light muſt guide all our Inquiries after it; and our ſentiments of things of this nature muſt be ſtrictly governed by this Rule; ſeeing the nature of them is ſuch as tranſcends the common Principles of Reaſon or natural Light, inaſmuch as they owe their original to the free acts of the divine Will and Wiſdom, which are unaccountable till revealed by God himſelf; and therefore it becomes us to captivate all our thoughts of them, to the obedience of Faith, as knowing that Learning, and Strength of parts (tho' of excellent uſe in their place) not guided by Scripture-light in theſe Inquiries, can only form an ingenious error, and loſe a Man in the Labyrinth of his own Imagination, and uncertain gueſſes; ſeeing the ſingle advantage of thoſe aſſiſtances (in this caſe truſted to, and ſtretched beyond their line) can reach no further than to enable him cum ratione errare; and ſo to wander from Truth, in a Path ſeeming more ſmooth, tho' no leſs dangerous, than others light upon.
And therefore in theſe things lies the Spring of moſt Miſtakes, and corruption of Doctrine and Practice in matters of Religion; Men do eaſily find out, and agree in the true dictates of the Law of Nature, but in things pertaining to the Covenants of God, how various are their Sentiments! Yea many great, learned, and good Men have been divided in their Judgments about ſome things of great importance to the Faith and Edification of the Church, tho' not abſolutely neceſſary to her Being; and ſome one error admitted about the nature of God's foederal tranſactions with Men, doth ſtrangely perplex the whole Syſteme, or Body of Divinity, and intangle our interpretation of innumerable Texts of Scripture; and by this means Jars and Contentions have been perpetuated in the Church, to the great grief and hindrance of all, the offence of the weak, and greater ſcandal of the blind World; and all this hath been much occaſioned thro' the want of a due and humble attention to that Revelation of Truth which God hath given us in the holy Scriptures, and indeavouring to collect the mind of God from thence without prepoſſeſſion of Judgment (which is a greater occaſion of theſe miſtakes then Men are generally aware of) and a careful avoiding the undue mixture or confuſion of things natural, with thoſe that are purely of a foederal nature.
Foraſmuch then as the Covenant of God is his Secret, and he only can make us to know it; and yet our Faith and Practice, Comfort, and Holyneſs, is nearly concerned in a good acquaintance with it, we need no other Motive to a diligent and humble ſearch of the Scriptures, for the right informing of our Judgment thereabout; nor no other Caution not to attribue overmuch to our own Wiſdom or Abilities, but to manage all our Inquiries with earneſt prayer to God for that holy ſpirit of Light and Truth, who only can lead us into all this Truth, and bring us to a clear acquaintance with the mind of God concerning it.