The Covenant of Life Opened, Part 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Christ procures the Gospel to be Preached to Reprobats, but undertakes not for them. A necessary distinction of the Covenant as Preached according to the approving will of God, and as acted upon the heart, according to the decree of God: and the differences of the members. The place, Jer. 31. Heb. 8. This is my Covenant, opened.
A Question it is,Christ undertaks that the Gospel shal be preached to the elect for themselves, and to the reprobat only as mixed with the elect▪ for other ends. whether Christ undertakes in the bargain with JEHOVAH, for all visibly in Covenant, for as is said before, these in the Visible Church and their children that are baptized, Magus, Demas, and others are in Covenant thus, Act. 2.39. Ans Christ undertakes in his bargain, only for the elect, and undertakes that the Gospel shall be Preached to them; but because many hypocrites are mixed with the Gentiles, and Christ is given a light to the Gentiles, Preached to a visible multitude, as is foretold, Isa. 49.6. Isa. 55.4, 5. fulfilled, Act. 13.46, 47. Rom. 15.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, &c. Therefore he procures to many hypocrites, for whom, and for whose Redemption, he undertakes not, that the Covenant shall be Preached by concomitancy, because they are mixed with the elect, not as an undertaker for them, but for Church Discipline, Christian Societies, and to render such unexcusable. Hence a necessary distinction of the Covenant of Grace.
The necessary distinction of the Covenant▪ as preached to many, and as acted upon the heart of the few chosen.The New Covenant must be considered,
1. As Preached according to the approving and commanding will of God.
2. As it is internally and effectually fulfilled in the elect according to the decree and the Lords will of purpose.
There must of necessity, differences be holden forth between these two. For, Antinomians, and legall Justitiaries miserably erre in both extremities: The former will have no New Covenant in the days of the Gospel, but that which is made with the elect: The latter will have no New Covenant but such as is made with the whole race of mankind, Pagans not excepted: So Socinians, Arminians, Papists.
1. They differ in the parties contracters: The parties contracters in the Covenant Preached,God and all within the visible Church, who hear the word of the Gospel, are the parties contracters in the Covenant▪ Preached, but God & the el…ct only are contracters of the Covenant, as acted upon the heart. are God, and all within the Visible Church, whether Elect or Reprobate, and their seed, they professing the Gospel, Mat. 28.19, 20. Act. 2.39, 40. Act. 3.25. Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made to our fathers; &c. and they were not all the chosen of God: This is against the Anabaptists also, and against these who will have the Gospel-Covenant to be made with all the world. But its a rich mercy that Professours are dwelling in the work-house of the Grace of God, within the Visible Church, they are at the pool side, near the fountain, and dwell in Immanuels land where dwels Jehovah in his beauty, and where are the Golden Candlesticks, and where there run Rivers of Wine and Milk, such are Exspectants of Grace and Glory, to such the Marriage Table is covered, eat if they will.
But the parties contracters of the Covenant in the latter respect are, Jer. 31. Heb. 8. only, the house of Judah, the taught of God, the people in whose heart the Law is ingraven; for as God teacheth not all Nations his statutes, nor sends the Gospel to them, Ps. 147.19, 20. Act. 16.
So neither is the promise of a new heart made to all within the Visible Chuch.
2. A great difference there is in regard of the Covenant of Suretyship or Mediation, that Christ undertakes not for such as are only visible Covenanters, and shall never beleeve: As he prayes not for such, as High Priest, so he dies not for them, nor came as a designed Covenanting Saviour from eternity under an act of Cautionry for them. How then cometh the Gospel to them?The Gospel comes from Chr…st as undertaker for the elect, & for their sake. Ans. It comes to them, 1. Not from Christ as their Surety, since he prays not for any Mediation of his own toward them: But 2. for the Elects sake: so Paul, Act. 13.26. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and who among you feareth God, to you, foreign, is the word of salvation, to you and for your cause, that ye may be saved, is the Gospel, sent. 2 Corin. 4.15. For all things, our suffering, our dying, are, foreign, for your sake. 2 Tim. 2.10. Therefore I indure all things, foreign, for the Elects sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Jesus Christ, with eternall glory. Hence there is no salvation but that which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, the Author and Cause, foreign, and meriting Procurer of eternall salvation, Hebr. 5.9. Now, though salvation be offered, yet the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, and merited by the ransone and price of his blood, can be decreed and intended in the Preached Gospel to none but to the elect, except they say that Christ did undertake to lay down his life, and to save, by his death and blood by Covenant-inga…gment, all the Reprobate within the visible Church, for whom he refuses to pray, John 17.
But Christ undertook from eternity for the fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace, and bestowing salvation upon them for whom he is Surety: for it is he who makes the new Covenant, Jer. 31.31, 32, 33, 34. Heb. 8.10, 11.
3. There is a twofold consideration of Gods will: One is called his approving, commanding, and forbidding will, The distinction of Gods will of approbation what is good or evill in poynt of our duty, whether it come to passe or not, and of his will of pleasure, what the Lord hath decreed shall come to passe, or not come to passe, whether good or evill, is of speciall consideration in this point.when God reveals to us what is our obligation and duty, and what is morally good, and to be done, because he commands it, and what is morally evill, and to be eschewed, because he forbids it. Now whether this good or evill shall come to passe, or never come to passe, it is all one, as to the nature of the approving will of God, for though the repenting of Cain, and saving faith of the traitour Judas never came to passe, yet it is the duty of the one and the other to repent and beleeve, and the Lord commands and approves their obedience as good, though he never decreed by his good pleasure, that the obedience of Cain and Judas should come to passe. But his will of pleasure, his discerning will, or his counsell, purpose, or decree, is his pleasure, and appointment of things, not as good and evill, or as agreeable unto, or repugnant, and contrair to an equal and just command of God, but of things as they come to passe, or shall never come to passe. Hence, in a premissive decree, God appointed the crucifying of the Lord of Life, the not breaking of a bone of Christ, but he did never will the crucifying of his Son, but forbids and hates it as execrable murther; as touching his approving will: in a word, his commanding will is of things lawfull or unlawfull, what we who are under a Law, ought to do, or not to do▪ His will of pleasure is of things fixed and resolved upon, what he purposes, good or evill, shall come to passe, or not come to passe: And by the way we may make good use of the foul sinnes that fall out; for holy and clean is that hand and counsell of the Lord,We are to adore the Lord in regard of the beauty of his work▪ even when the foulest works fall out. Act. 2.27, 28. which determined what Herod and Pilate should do: Yet did the Jews with wicked hands slay and crucifie him, Act. 2.23. And O what beauty of wisedom and mercy do they see here, who make that foul work of the slayers of Christ the subject matter of a fair Psalm? Rev. 5.12. The thousands before the Throne, sing, worthy is the Lamb that was slain: But were they worthy who slew him? was it a worthy fact in the murtherers of the Lord of Glory? No: but grudge not at the beauty of his work, who over rules all, but adore and praise. Let us not wrestle with his holy dispensation, and say, Ah! What an untoward Government of the world is it, that God should suffer Angels and Men to sin, and overturn the whole fabrick of Heaven and earth by sin? Nay, he hath by their fall brought in a more glorious order, When he that sitteth upon the Throne, saith, Behold I make all things new, Rev. 21.5. and its said, 2 Pet. 3.13. Neverthelesse we, according to his promise, look for new Heavens and a new earth, wherein dwels righteousnesse. We are to pray against the event of the decree of God in some cases, and yet to submit unto the decree it self, and to adore the Holy Lord therein.Peter and the Disciples were to pray that they should not enter into temptation, Mat. 26.41. and were oblidged not to be offended and scattered by the sufferings of the Lord; but they were not to blame and grudgingly to judge that holy decree Prophecied by Zechariah, and revealed to themselves, Zech. 13.7. Mat. 26.31. I will smite the Sheepherd, and the Sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. His part is clean and holy, even when he throwes the wicked in hell, and they are oblidged to sing the Psalm of the glory of his spotlesse Justice, and that eternally, as these who are before the Throne are to hold up, for all ages, the new song of the glory of his mercy and free-grace.
This ground being laid down, the Holy Ghost speaks of the New Covenant two wayes in Scripture▪
1. According to the approving will of God, as it stands, of promises, precepts, threatnings; and showes both what God doth by promises, and what we are oblidged to do in point of duty, Act. 2.39. The promise is to you and to your children. Act. 3.25. Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers. 2 Cor. 6.17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, — And I will be a Father to you, &c. This is the whole New Covenant, holding out our duty, ordaining those that professe, to be baptized, received members of the Visible Church, the body to be edified as a visibly Covenanted people: This excludes not, but includes the Lords taking in members to the invisible and mysticall body: which is to be observed against Anabaptists and Antinomians.
The Lord speaks often of the Covenant of Grace not so much as Preached,The Lord speaks of the Covenant, Jer. 31.31, 32. Jer. 32. Ezek. 11. Ezek. ch▪ 36. Isai. 59. according to his decree, and what he works in our heart, and not according to his will of command, and what we ought of duety to do. quâ foedus ennunciatum (though it so also must be Preached) but as fulfilled by God, and acted in an effectuall powerfull way, upon the hearts of the elect only, and that according to the Lords decree of election, and will of pleasure: So speaks the Lord of the Covenant. Jer. 31.31, 32, 33. Jer. 32.37, 38, 39. Ezek. 11.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Ezek. 36.25, 26, 27, &c. Isa. 59.20, 21. in a pure Evangelick way, and in these places the Lord speaks of the Covenant, not so much as it contains our duty, as principally it holds forth his Gospel promise what he shall effectually do according to his decree and will of pleasure over-ruling our corrupt will: which Papists, Arminians, and Socinians utterly mistake, and will have it to be spoken of the Covenant as Preached according to the Lords approving and commanding will, whereas there is not one word of a command in these places, and therefore they say that these places speak nothing for the efficacy and mighty power of God in converting sinners.The mistake of Socinians and Arminians, touching the places, Jer. 31. Eze. 11, &c. 2. The Anabaptists from these places say none are to be baptized, but such as are so in Covenant, and as have these promises fulfilled in them, in whom the Lord hath wrought a new heart, and a new spirit; and that there is no externall Covenanting under the New Testament. But then the whole Gentiles, Isai. 55.4, 5. Isai. 11.10. Isai. 60.1, 2, 3, &c. all Nations, Crispe, Christ exalted, Ser. 6 pag. 159.Isai. 2.1, 2. all flesh, Isai. 40.5. Psal. 65.2. all the Kindreds of the earth, Psal. 22.26, 27. the Kingdoms of the world, Rev. 11.15. should be all chosen to life, taught of God, such as have the Law of God ingraven in their inward parts, as Jer. 31.33. Ezek. 36.26. which is most false.The mistake of Antinomians as touching these places Jer. 31. Eze. 11. cap. 36.26. Isa. 59, &c. For they own no Covenant of grace, but that … which … doth all▪ & we are meer patients. Now there are undenyable Prophecies that the Gentiles from the rising of the Sun, to the going, down thereof, Mal. 1.11. shall be, under the New Testament, the people of God by Covenant, Isa. 19.18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Then must the generality and mixed multitude of the Gentiles be some other way in Covenant, then these of whom the Prophets s…eak, Isa. 5… ▪20, 21. Isa. 55.10. Jer. 31.31. Ezek. 11.19. Ezek. 36.26.
3. The Antinomians do also owne no Covenant of grace, but this wherein the new heart is given, and the condition is both promised and given. And D. Crispe saith, All other Covenants of God besides this, run upon a stipulation, and the promises run upon conditions altogether upon both sides. — The New Covenant is without any conditions whatsoever upon mans part: Man in tyed to no condition that he must perform, that if he do not perform, the Covenant is made void by him.
Ans. Man is under a condition of beleeving, and tyed to beleeve, so as the wrath of God abides upon him, he shall not see life, nor be justified, if he beleeve not, Joh. 3.18.36. Rom. 10.6, 7, 8, 9▪ (2.) Man is tyed to no condition which he must …, say which, he can perform without the grace of God. For have he grace, or have he no grace (the Holy Lord (O if we could plead for him and his High Soveraignty) is debter to no man) he is so oblidged to beleeve as he sins against the Preached Covenant and forefaults his salvation, if he beleeve not▪ and so breaks the Covenant, but devils or men cannot make it… void, he may make it of no effect to himself he being an heir of damnation, but being a chosen vessel God shall work him to beleeve, and he makes it not void to himself. If it be said, that the New Covenant is without, any conditions whatsoever, upon mans pure: It says too much for the beleevers being under no debt, no obligation of conscience to beleeve, or to any duty, but as the Spirit their only Law leads them: And if the Spirit breath not upon them to forbear adultery, paricide sodomie, or to beleeve, pray, praise, hear, mourn for sin, as Peter, and David, they sin not, for sin is a transgression of the Law, And when the Spirit breaths not, acts not,The Antinomians, confound the efficient cause of obedience with the objective cause and rule of obedience in either Law or Gospel, & free men from all duties when the actuall influences of the Spirit cease. there is no Law: and this is most …ilde. Where observe that …. Antinomians and Familists confound the efficient cause of our obedience, which is the Spirit of Grace, and the objective cause, which is the holy rule of the command, promise, or threatning. For though the Spirit be absent, and not given at all to men in the state of nature, yet do they sin in committing of Sodomie, and in not praying, for they are oblidged not to sin, and commanded in the first Command to pray to a revealed God. I know Adam was not oblidged before he sinned to pray to Jesus Christ Mediator, as Steven, Act. 7. prayed to him. The Spirit by grace, does help us to obey the command and the Law, but the Spirit is not the Law, nor rule of out obedience.
2. Not only will they have the Spirit… to be all the beleevers Law and word, and the letter of the command to lay on no obligation, but the Spirit as actually breathing and giving actuall influences must be the Law: For though the naturall conscience or habituall light say that the man should not commit this wickednesse, nor omit this duty, seeing present necessity of one starving for want, of one drowning in a water crying for my help, is a call of God to perform the duty. And if the Spirit give inward warning that I should do the duty, yet if the Spirit actually breath not and contribute not his actuall influence, the man hath no warrand of any command or Law to act without his rule, since the Spirit acts not at all: and cannot so be guilty in the committing of the most vile abomination; for where no Law is, no sin is.
M. Crispe pag. 160. brings this Argument, The Covenant is everlasting: if the Covenant stand upon any conditions to be performed by man, it cannot be an everlasting Covenant, except man were so confirmed in righteousnesse that he should never fail in that which is his part, but he daily fails, & so daily breaks the Covenant?
Ans. To the first act of beleeving, which is a performing of the condition of the Covenant,The beleever is confirmed so as he cannot but beleeve, and beleeve to the end, being under the speciall promises made to the chosen, although he have not the confirming grace of the elect Angels. there is no other condition required then that, Ezek. 36.26. I will put in you a heart of flesh. 27. I will put my Spirit in you, and cause you walk in my statutes. Zech. 12.10. I will powr… upon the house of David, the Spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, that is, they shall beleeve in me: That is a strong confirmation, to wit, a promise that he will work the condition in us. And so is that, Joh. 6.37. All that the Father gives unto me, shal come unto me (that is, beleeve in me) and him that cometh, I will in no wise cast out. 2. It is to question the perseverance of the Saints to say, that God shall not confirm them into the day of the Lord, as he promiseth, 1 Cor. 1.8. Phil. 1.6. 1 Pet. 1.4, 5. (3.) Our daily doubtings of unbeleef will not prove that we so break the Covenant, as our fails and daily slips of unbeleef should render the Covenant void, and null, so as it should leave off to be an everlasting Covenant, for such failings are indeed sins against the love of the Redeemer and Surety of the Covenant, for his love should constrain us to beleeve at all times,The doubtings & unbeleef of the justified renders not the Covenant of Grace null, so as it should not be a possible way of life to them, as the least sin against the Covenant of Works renders the Covenant null, so that it can never be a possible way of salvation again to those that once sin. and to hope to the end. Nor does the eternity of the Covenant depend upon our beleeving, but upon his grace who gives us to beleeve: but its otherwayes in the Covenant of Works.
D. Crispe, pag. 162. in Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. and other passages where the Tenor of the Covenant is contained, there is no word of a tie, pag. 163, 164. there is not one word that God saith to man, thou must do this. But God takes all upon himself, and saith he will do this: Yea, if faith were the condition of the Covenant, the fault of the broken Covenant should be his who works, not faith in us.
Ans. Here is the mistake of many who imagine that,The Lord speaks not Jer. 31. Heb. 8. of the whole Covenant of Grace as preached to all in the Visible Church, as many suppose. Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. the Holy Ghost setteth down the whole intire summe and tenor of the new Covenant, which he doth not. For 1. he speaketh nothing of the whole parties of the Preached Covenant, which is all within the Visible Church: these he speaks of here, are only beleevers in whom he works a new heart. 2. He speaks nothing of Covenant Commandements, nothing of Covenant duties directly. 3. Nothing of the condition required of us. 2. He speaks not of the Covenant under the reduplication as Preached, or as a treatie offered to elect and reprobate, as Math. 2….31, 32. Luk. 1.72. Act. 2.39. and as every where holden out as a visi…le Covenant made with Abraham and his seed in both Old and New Testament, according to the approving will of God.
But he speaks only of the fulfilling of some speciall promises of the Covenant, heart teaching, and the efficacy of the Covenant. 2. Only upon the elect who shall persevere to the end, Jer. 31.35. Jer. 32.40. Isa. 59.20, 21. (3.) Only according to the Lords decree and will of pleasure, not what we ought to do, but what the Lord by his powerfull grace will do in us. As 1. I will ingrave my Law in their heart. 2. I will be their God. 3. They shall be my people, to wit, effectually as gifted with a new heart, and such as shall never be casten off, but shall persevere to the end, v. 35, 36, 37. Jer. 32.40. otherwise by externall calling all the carnall and stiffe-hearted Jews were his people in Covenant, Isai. 1.3. Isa. 5.25. Ps. 81.8. Ps. 50.7. Deut. 7.7. as is in every page almost of the Old Testament. (4.) They shall be taught of God, 31, 34. (5.) I will forgive their iniquitie, v. 34. (6.) I will give them perseverance, and never cast them off, v. 35, 36, 37. so that the Covenant is a metonymie. This is my Covenant that I will make with them: that is, these are effects, fruits, and blessings of the Covenant which I shall by my effectuall and mighty grace work in them.
The scope of the Epistle to the Hebrews is not to treat of the Covenant Preached in his nature, parties, promises, precepts, conditions, but to treat of the excellency of Christ above Angels, Moses, Priests, Sacrifices, and in acting of the Covenant upon the heart of the elect, especially Christ excells all.4. The Apostle to the Hebrews hath no purpose to expone the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham, that Covenant (saith he) they break ▪ Yea it is contrair to the scope of the Apostle to set down the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace. He purposes in the Epistle to the Hebrews to exalt Christ above the Angels. ch. 1▪ above Moses, ch. 3. above all the Priests, the High Priest, and above all the Sacrifices Bullocks, Lambs, Goats, &c. he through the eternall Spirit, once offered himself to God. And ch. 8. he proves Christ to be a more excellent High Priest, a Minister of a more excellent Tabernacle, and a more excellent Ministry, Because he is Mediator of a better Covenant: he is a days-man who layes his hands upon both parties at variance, both upon God and man, to bring them together: See Job. 9.32, 33. that is, a Mediatour of a Covenant▪ So that here he saith, Christ is ingadged to the Father in a more spirituall, and heavenly Covenant. None could ingrave the Law of God in the heart but Christ: one might say, was not the Law ingraven in the heart of some, and their sins pardoned? Were not Moses, Aaron, and many of the people of God, sanctified, pardoned, and justified according to that Covenant? Ans. They were justified and sanctified, but not by the letter of the Covenant of Grace, nor by sacrifices, shadows, conditionall promises, threattens, but by Christ, I the Lord Redeemer will write my Law in their heart, &c. It is then contrair to the Apostles scope; Heb. 8. to enter the discourse of the Doctrine of the literall Law-Covenant, or the conditionall Covenant of Grace, it strongly concludes his point, to speak but of the half (though the choisest half) of the Covenant, as fulfilled in the elect, and that exalts Christ and his Ministry, that he hath a Ministry upon the heart. Now it is a shame to lay the blame of our not beleeving on Christ, be it a condition of the Covenant, or be it none: Christ works all our works in us, and by this reason it must he his fault (hallowed be his Name) that we sin at all, because he works not in us contrair acts of obedience. But to whom is the Soveraign Lord debter? And therefore this Antinomian way must be refused.