The Difference Between the Old and New Covenants, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Of Chriſt as the ſum of the Covenant.
THe Covenant of grace running primarily to Jeſus Chriſt and to us in him, ſo as he not only maketh it with, but even is, the Covenant of the people. Iſa. 42. 6. It will be neceſſary to inquire, What intereſt Jeſus Chriſt hath, or how and in what place and Office he ſtandeth in reference to the Covenant.
1. Jeſus Chriſt is the very foundation which Evangelical Covenant is built upon; as he is our life. Coloſſ. 3. 3. 1 John 5. 20. the cauſe of it; So he is the Covenant. i. e. the very baſis of it, as 1 Cor. 3. 11. For other foundation can no man lay, then the is laid, which is Jeſus Chriſt. The Covenant of Works, was founded upon ſomething in man, his concreated ability and natural ſtrength; all the obedience of the firſt Adam (if he had ſtood) and the fruits thereof, would have been reſulting from the ſufficiency of his own power and free-will, and he failing all the fabrick fell.
But the Lord hath eſtabliſhed another glorious Covenant, and this is built upon what is firmer and of greater ſtrength, even Jeſus Chriſt; this ſtone that is laid in Zion, is a tried ſtone. Iſa. 26. 16. A ſure foundation. Now the ſtructure of our Salvation will never fall, becauſe it hath ſuch a ſure ground-work, able to bear up the weight and ſtreſs of all that is laid upon it; No other can be laid. He is the only foundation of all the promiſes, of all the graces, of all the obedience, of all the peace, of all the comfort, of all the glory that is promiſed. That with Abraham before his incarnation, was confirmed of God in Chriſt. Gal. 3. 17. He was the Mediator of Abrahams Covenant, and therefore that had in it the ſame for ſubſtance with the new.
Indeed, Jeſus Chriſt is the foundation of all the bleſſings, and ſpecial priviledges in the Covenant as with us. If the Lord be a God to any, it is in Chriſt, if their iniquities be forgiven it is in the blood of Chriſt, if the Divine Law be written in their hearts, it is by the finger of the ſpirit of Chriſt; thus he lieth at the bottom of all, and ſo is the Covenant of the people.
2. Jeſus Chriſt maketh way for our injoyment of all federal bleſſings, by ſtanding in manifold relations to the Covenant.
As he ſtandeth between God and us as a middle perſon to make reconciliation, ſo he is the Mediator of the Covenant. Heb. 9. 15. There was a wide breach that we could never have made up; yea ſuch a variance as there was no poſſibility of our approaching to God to enter upon a Treaty of Peace, much leſs to procure our own reconciliation; ſin raiſed ſuch an enmity as the Lord would have been a conſuming fire to us, if we had come near to him: now the Lord Jeſus interpoſed and took up this caſe, undertook to compoſe and put an end to this difference There were iniquities in the way to hinder our fruition of promiſed mercies, but he took an effectual courſe for the removal of theſe. He is the Mediator of the new Teſtament; to what end? for the redemption of the tranſgreſſions that were under the firſt Teſtament. Satisfaction was made by him to Divine Juſtice to the full, he anſwered all the demands of the righteous Law, and ſo wrought out reconciliation for us.
As he undertook for the parties at variance, ſo he was the ſurety of the Covenant. Heb. 7. 22. Jeſus made a Surety of a better Teſtament. The Lord would not take our bond for that great debt which we had contracted and were never able to pay. It was now with us as with a poor man under an arreſt for a vaſt ſum, unleſs there can be procured an able ſufficient man to enter bond with him, he muſt to priſon without hope of being releaſed any more: ſo the Law of the righteous God arreſted us, for infinite breaches thereof; it exacted a great and yet moſt juſt debt at our hand, which we (being already bankrupts) were never able to anſwer: it required a debt of infinite ſuffering, the juſt due of our ſin, which if laid upon us, would ſink us for ever; for the wages of ſin is death. The Lord demanded a debt of perfect obedience, univerſal righteouſneſs, unto life, which we were never able to yield; and now unleſs one able and ſufficient will undertake and be bound for us, there is no poſſibility of eſcaping the priſon of Hell, the chains of infernal darkneſs, the everlaſting wrath of the Omnipotent God; under this miſery we muſt have layen without hope of recovery: this was our ſtate upon the fall of our firſt parents, and in this ſtrait and diſtreſs, one not of our procuring, but of his own grace offering it, even Jeſus Chriſt ſtepped in, and became a ſurety for us to pay our ranſom, to anſwer our debt to the utmoſt farthing, he put his name into our Obligation was made under the Law, to redeem thoſe that were under the Law. Gal. 4, 4.
Yea he became God's ſurety to us, to free us from all doubtings about the fulfilling of the Covenant to us; he undertook and promiſed that he would loſe nothing that was given him. John 6. 39. But would raiſe in up at the laſt day, i. e. to everlaſting Salvation; for others ſhall be raiſed up alſo unto Condemnation, but theſe unto eternal glory.
As he ratified and confirmed all, ſo he was the Teſtator of the Covenant. Heb. 9. 16, 17. Where there is a Teſtament, then muſt alſo of neceſſity be the death of the Teſtator, for a Teſtament is of force after men be dead—Nothing leſs than death it ſelf was threatned upon the firſt tranſgreſſion (Gen. 2. 17.) that muſt be indured if ever Sinners be recovered unto a fruition of eternal life: and now behold the matchleſs love of Jeſus Chriſt; ſaith he, I will die in their ſtead, to ſave them from eternal death, and thus he hath turned it into a Teſtament, a new Teſtament, fealing it with his own blood.
As he acteth for our obtainment of the bleſſings promiſed, ſo he is the Meſſenger of the Covenant. Mal. 3. 1. The Meſſenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in, behold he ſhall come.
We ſhould have been without a knowledge of this grace, altogether ſtrangers to it and unacquainted with it, if he had not revealed it to us, and ſo we ſhould not have made out after, but come ſhort of thoſe ſpiritual bleſſings of the Covenant: but now Jeſus Chriſt himſelf travelleth with theſe bleſſed tidings, he maketh a report of all the federal tranſactions between the Father and him in order to our Salvation, he openeth all thoſe ſoul-raviſhing Myſteries, and all thoſe precious promiſes, yea the way to our participation of thoſe bleſſed priviledges, and ſo he is the Meſſenger of the Covenant.
As he ſeeketh to ſatisfie us of the reality of God in all thoſe federal tranſactions, ſo he is the w…tneſs of the Covenant: Iſa. 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witneſs of the people—When poor ſould hear the tidings of Covenant love in the heart of God towards them, they are ready to ſuſpect it is too good news to be true; are apt to be incredulous here, are hardly perſwaded to believe the truth thereof, at leaſt as to themſelves; now Jeſus Chriſt condeſcendeth ſo far as to take upon him the Office of a Witneſs to aſſure of the truth of all; yea now he is in heaven he doth not throw up that Office, he continueth ſtill in this work, and ſendeth down news from heaven thereof Revel. 1. 5. & 3. 14. He is the faithful Witneſs ſtill; as if he ſhould ſay, I lay in the boſom of the Father, I have ſeen all tranſactions, all paſſages, I know how the heart of God ſtandeth towards this Covenant work, if my word may have any credit with you, I teſtifie (ſaith Jeſus Chriſt) that the Father is real herein, and the work is done, the Covenant is ſtruck, yea ratified and ſealed with my blood.
When ſouls are full of jealouſies concerning the willingneſs of God to give entertainment to them, and admittance into Covenant grace, and to deal with them in a Covenant way, though they cannot peep into Heaven and look into the boſom of the Father, and read all things there, yet Jeſus Chriſt ſtoopeth ſo low as to take upon him the Office of a faithful Witneſs, to give aſſurance thereof.
As he is our Spiritual head and the bleſſed Seed, ſo he is a party contracting in the Covenant: he is the chief Seed of Abraham and of David, Gal. 3. To whom the promiſes are made. verſ. 19. Matth. 15. 22. All is aſſured to him, as well as to us, and his ſtanding on our ſide as a party with us in the ſme Covenant, as it is an honour, ſo it is a comfort to us, in that it giveth aſſurance of its accompliſhment to a tittle, for the Lord will not fail his only Son Jeſus Chriſt of any thing which he hath promiſed to him: and he being a party it were an injury to him, if any thing were unfulfilled.
As he is the Subſtance of the Covenant, ſo he is ſaid to be the Covenant of the people; and well may he bear this name he ſtanding in all theſe relations to it.
3. Jeſus Chriſt was the principal promiſe of the Covenant: this denominates him the Covenant, his being really the chief part of it, or thing firſtly promiſed in it, and all other things for his ſake. Thus he primarily was the Seed of the woman that was promiſed to break the Serpents head. Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. 1 John 3. 8. He is that Seed of Abraham in whom all the Nations are bleſſed. Gen. 22. 18. Gal. 3. 16. He is the royal Seed of David to be enthroned, of whoſe Kingdom there ſhall be no end. Luke 1. 32, 33.
Indeed this is a grand priviledge of Goſpel times, that what was of old the great thing under promiſe to come viz. a bleſſed Seed, a Meſſiah, is now turned into a performance, and he now ſtandeth actually a Mediator, in ſtead thereof. All the propheſies were of him. Act. 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witneſs—Of the Scriptures he ſaith, Joh. 5. 39. They are they which teſtifie of me, as if they ſaid nothing elſe but Chriſt, Chriſt, and thus he is the Covenant.
4. Jeſus Chriſt is really to us all that which under any antient Covenant was typically repreſented unto men; and ſo he is Subſtantially the Covenant of the people: as Dr. Sibs obſerveth, Chriſt is all to us which was held forth of old either in perſonal types, he is the Second Adam, the true Iſaac, Joſeph, Joſhua, Solomon, Melchiſedeck—Or in real types, he is the true braſen Serpent that cureth ſin-ſtung ſouls which by an eye of faith are looking to him. Joh. 3. 14, 15. He is the true Manna, bread of life, to all thoſe that believingly feed upon him. Joh. 6. 31, 33, 35. He is the true ſacrifice, the Paſchal Lamb; our hearts being ſprinkled with his blood, the deſtroying Angel ſhall paſs over us. He is our true Tabernacle, true Altar, and true Ark, all typified by theſe, is really fulfilled in him.
5. Jeſus Chriſt is the excellency, marrow and ſweetneſs, yea the ſum and Subſtance of all that is under promiſe, and ſo he is the Covenant of the people: indeed he is the very ſtore-houſe where the promiſes are treaſured up. All mercies from the Father, muſt have their conveyance to us through the hands of his Son. Yea Jeſus Chriſt is the very quinteſſence, the chief in, the very life of all the mercies themſelves, and all come with him. Rom. 8. 32. How ſhall be not [with him] alſo freely give us all things. It is Chriſt that putteth fulneſs into other things, and addeth ſweetneſs to them, they are imbittered, and as nothing if without him. The promiſes (though full in themſelves yet) are empty to us unleſs taken with Chriſt; all priviledges empty, all injoyments empty, unleſs taken with him; hence he is ſaid to be all in all. Col. 3. 11. He is all in all graces, all in all peace, in all promiſes, in all comforts, in all glory.
6. Jeſus Chriſt doth all that is neceſſary for the procurement of all federal bleſſings; and ſo he is the Covenant of the people: as he is the reſurrection. i. e. the cauſe of it. John 11. 25. So he is the cauſe and procurer of all federal bleſſings. Not only ſhall he [make] a Covenant with the people, but [be] a Covenant of the people. i. e. All that is required in a federal way from the people, that Jeſus Chriſt ſhall be ſo them: if the Father demandeth it of them, they muſt not preſent him with any duties or performances of their own for acceptation unto life, but with Jeſus Chriſt, he is their Covenant to perform all for them, which they are obliged to, in order to that end. Saith the Lord, I will not enter into Covenant or deal in an immediate way with them as with the firſt Adam, but I will take a ſurer courſe, I will give thee for that end, thou ſhalt undertake all the matters therein; even for thy Seed; I will look to thee for the performance thereof, and thus he is the Covenant of the people.
All that is promiſed to Jeſus Chriſt, or to us, it is upon his obedience. Iſa. 53. 10, 11, 12.
Not by the obedience of every one for himſelf, but by the obedience of one. i. e. of Jeſus Chriſt many are made righteous. Rom. 5. 19. Juſtification of life, and remiſſion of ſins are procured by him. verſ. 18. Rom. 3. 24. And ſo reconciliation or promiſed peace. Iſa. 53. 5. The Chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him. We muſt for ever have ſtood at enmity, if he had not ſtepped in for the procurement of our peace, hence he is our peace. Epheſ. 2. 14. Not only the Author and Procurer, but even the ſum of it. So the promiſe of propriety in, and Communion with God, hath its procurement, and taketh effect only upon the obedience of Jeſus Chriſt: all are afar off from God, under the greateſt eſtrangement till made nigh by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt. Epheſ. 2. 12, 13. the promiſe of the Communication of Sanctifying grace, of giving the Law into the heart, is from him. Iſa. 53. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yea the promiſe of Salvation and eternal life taketh effect from him; his death was for this end. Heb. 9. 15. That they which are called might receive the promiſe of the eternal inheritance. And thus he is for a Covenant of the people.