The Difference Between the Old and New Covenants, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Of the date of Covenant mercies.
IF it be inquired when the Covenant of grace was made between God the Father, and Jeſus Chriſt the Son? it muſt be anſwered, it was from eternity, it was an eternal Covenant: indeed the actual giving him for a Covenant, was not till his incarnation; it is mentioned as a future thing, he was promiſed before, but given then; Whence Iſa. 42. 1, 2, 3. &c. is applied to him when he had taken our nature. Matt. 12. 17, 18. &c.
Alſo the firſt revelation of it was. Gen. 3. 15. In the promiſe of his becoming the Seed of the woman, to bruiſe the Serpents head. That argueth a fore-agreement or conſent to grapple with the Serpent, but doth not give the firſt date to the Covenant; So as the firſt declaration of the Covenant of grace was there, but the Conſtitution or making of it was before all time, even from eternity: this appeareth; for
1. There were mutual operations or actings of the will of God the Father and Son from eternity, concerning the reſtoration of lapſed man, which amount to a Covenant: For, what more is requiſite thereunto? it is revealed that ſuch a Compact was between them, Iſa. 53. 10, 11, 12. Iſa. 42. 1, to 8. God worketh all things after the counſel of his own will, Epheſ. 1. 11. Therefore ſo great a tranſaction was not without it: and the Will of God is Eternal; for he doth not begin to Will or Nill that which he did not before. According to their diſtinct perſonality, the Will of the Father was, that the Son ſhould in fulneſs of time, take our nature, do and ſuffer, all neceſſary to the reſtitution and recovery of the Elect: the Will of the Son ecchoed back and anſwered to that of the Father, accepting the Office; and this diſtinct acting or new habitude (as Dr. O. calleth it) of Will in the Father and Son toward each other, is beyond a bare decree that the thing ſhould be, and ſo it is an Eternal Covenant.
2. The deſignation of Jeſus Chriſt to and his undertaking of the Mediatorial Office (which amount to a Covenant or agreement) was before all time: For Epheſ. 1. 4. He hath choſen us in him, i. e. in Chriſt. And when? Before the foundation of the World. He is (though not the Cauſe yet) the Medium or means for the execution of election; that did not run upon an uncertain means, and therefore there was an agreement concerning it from Eternity. Yea as to his Mediatorial imployment he is ſaid to prae-exiſt all creatures. Prov. 8. 23. I was ſet up [or anointed, i. e. to be King, Prieſt and Prophet] from everlaſting, or eve… the Earth was, verſ. 24, to 31.
3. Many did believe (Heb. 11.) and ſo Salvation was obtained in the times of the Old Teſtament by Jeſus Chriſt through a Covenant of Grace: To ſay that they were ſaved by vertue of a meer decree, were to aſſert that their ſalvation was obtained one way, ours another, and would render the Covenant ſuperfluous, vain, and needleſs, if ſome went ſaved without it; and it is againſt Rev. 13. 8. which ſaith he was a Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world; their partaking of the fr…its and benefits of his death (before it actually was) could be no other way but upon aſſurance, that Jeſus Chriſt would in due time take our nature and ſuffer death: this aſſurance could ariſe from nothing but a Covenant wherein Jeſus Chriſt promiſed to do it, and the Father truſted the Son for a due performance of it. This Covenant the… was before his incarnation, and ſo muſt be made with him perſonally conſidered, or as the ſecond perſon in the Trinity, and conſequently from Eternity; for no acts between them as God but are eternal. The Father and the Son as ſo, do not begin to act towards each other what they did not before, there was therefore an eternal Covenant,
4. There were ſome reciprocal or federal actions of the Fathers giving Souls, and the Sons receiving of them, antecedaneous to Faith, Joh. 17. 2, 6, 12. That he ſhould give eternal Life to as many as thou haſt given him. This deed of gift is for the ſame end that the Covenant of grace ſerveth to, viz. that they might enjoy eternal Life, Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me, i. e. ſhall believe, verſ. 35. this free giving is firſt, and believing after, and therefore ſeemeth to be Eternal. This donation, is an act of the Divine Will, granting of perſons to Jeſus Chriſt that they might be ranſomed or redeemed: right to receive and take them is relative to it, and therefore (I think) differeth from Election: For, the reaſon of that ſtandeth not in ſuch a grant, but in a diſtinct act of the ſame will, viz. in Divine love with ſeparation, ſevering ſome to ſalvation with a refuſing of others. This giving then, is a ſederal act from all Eternity.
5. Some federal matters are declared to be from Eternity, Tit. 1. 2. In hope of Eternal Life, which God that cannot lie promiſed. When? before the world began. And we are ſaved and called, not only according to his purpoſe, but grace which was given us in Chriſt, 2 Tim. 1. 9. But when? before the world began. All promiſes of eternal Life, and all ſuch grace, belong to the Covenant of Grace, and theſe were then made or given not to us in our own perſons (for we had no exiſtence ſo early) but in Jeſus Chriſt. As it would ſound harſh to interpret the word promiſed thus decreed to promiſe, ſo it were as abſurd, to render either Text from the beginning of the world, the word being. foreign ante, before, not ſince. I ask, is it to be rendred ſo as to Election or Jeſus Chriſt, Epheſ. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 20? if not, let us owne this truth, that in the Covenant of Grace, Eternal Life was promiſed, and grace given in Jeſus Chriſt from all Eternity.