The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 1
SECT. I.
3. THis Covenant of grace, is ſuch a compact wherein God promiſeth, That In this Covenant God promiſeth to be our God, and that we ſhall be his people. It is a Covenant of promiſe.he will be our God, and that we ſhall be his people.
Here are three things obſervable.
1. That this Covenant is a Covenant of promiſe, altogether of promiſe; God therein promiſeth all that doth concern himſelf or us. There are many things in it which do concern himſelf, and many things which do concern us, and they are all of them under promiſe. The rewards (if I may ſo call them) on his part, of life, and mercy, and grace, and ſalvation, they are all promiſed; and the ſervices, qualities, duties, on our part, in reference unto him as our God, are alſo promiſed by him. What he will performe, and what we are to performe, although they be different things, yet in this Covenant both of them are promiſed; He promiſeth to love us, and he promiſeth that we ſhall love him; He promiſeth, that he will forgive our ſinnes; and he promiſeth, that we ſhall repent of our ſinnes; He promiſeth that he will help us; and he promiſeth, that we ſhall walk in his Satutes; He promiſeth that he will ſave us; and he promiſeth that we ſhall believe to the ſaving of our ſouls.
In the other Covenant of works, there God promiſeth life, and man promiſeth obedience; God was to perform his part, and man was to perform his part, and mans performance depended upon his own ſtrength: But in this Covenant, God promiſeth all, and he undertakes all; He undertakes to give all that he promiſeth, and promiſeth to give all that he requireth. I will give a new heart; I will cauſe you to paſſe into the band of the Covenant; I will cauſe you to know me, to truſt in my Name, to love me, to feate me, to walk in my Statutes, and to do them: He will ſubdue our iniquities, &c.
2. In this Covenant, he promiſeth that he will be our God. I will establiſh He promiſeth to be our God.my Covenant betwixt me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee, to be God unto thee and to thy ſeed after thee, Gen. 17. 7. This is the Covenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael, &c. I will be their God, &c. Jer. 31. 33. And I will be their God, …. 11. 20. They ſhall ſay, The Lord is my God, Zachariah 13. 9.
This one thing which God promiſeth (I will be your God) it is as one Paraeus in Gen. 17.rightly ſpeaks, Anima foederis, the very ſoul of all the Covenant: It is ſumma Foederis, the excellency, the very quinteſſence of it. It is farre more than that, I will pardon you; than that, I will help you, I will bleſſe you; or that, I will ſave you. As Chriſt ſpake concerning that command of loving the Lord with all thy heart, this is the great Commandment; So may we ſay of this part of the Covenant of this promiſe, I will be your God; it is the great part of the Covenant, it is the great promiſe of the Covenant of grace: Indeed it is the ſumme of all; All is contained in it; and therefore David ſaid, Happy is that people, whoſe God is the Lord, Pſal. 144. 15.
Queſt. But ſome may demand, What great matter is comprehended in this, What is comprehended under it.when God ſaith in the Covenant, I will be your God? I will be a God to you: Is he not the God of the whole world? Is he not a God to all the people of the earth.
Sol. I anſwer, That he is ſo, he is the God of the whole earth, and there is no God beſides him; He is a God to all the creatures, in reſpect of their production, they were all made and formed by him, they are the work of his hands; And in reſpect of preſervation, In him we live, and move, and have our being, Act. 17. 28. There is a Relation betwixt him and all creatures: But this is inconſiderable in compariſon of this Covenant-relation unto his people, wherein he ſaith, I will be a God to you, or your God. This relation is of all other the higheſt, and neareſt; as when a man promiſeth unto a woman, I will be a husband unto you; this takes in love, and nearneſſe, and care, and maintenance.
There are four things comprehended in this.Four things comprehended in it. Reconciliatiō.
1. Reconciliation unto you. I will be your God i. e. I will be reconciled to you, I will never be an enemy to you; All enmity betwixt you and me is at an end, I accept of you into a ſtate of love, my love is towards you, you have found grace in my ſight, I will marry you unto my ſelf in loving kindneſſes; my love ſhall reſt upon you.
2. Donation of himſelf. I will be your God, i. e. I will beſtow my ſelf upon Donation of himſelf.you: you ſhall have a propriety in me; I am God, even thy God, Pſal. 50. 7. This God is our God, Pſal. 48. 14. He gives himſelf (as it were) into your poſſeſſion, into your hands: As when the Indenture is drawn and ſealed, the land falls into your pocket: and therefore, whenſoever you find him covenanting, you find him (as it were) giving away himſelf, granting a right unto himſelf, and a poſſeſſion and enjoyment of himſelf. After the Lord had made a Covenant with Abraham, he thereupon ſtiles himſelf the God of Abraham, and ſo the God of Iſaac, and of Jacob, and of Iſrael; and thus making a Covenant with all the faithful, he thereupon is theirs, their God, and their Father. They have as much right unto him, and propriety in him, as the wife in and to the husband, who becomes hers by a Covenant of Marriage. My Beloved is mine, and I am his. This is a wonderful truth, that God (in the Covenant of grace) gives himſelf: Conſider God,
1. Either Eſſentially, in his eternal, ſelf-ſufficient, holy, bleſſed, infinite, glorious Being and Attributes: as thus conſidered he is yours, makes all over unto you really.
2. Or, Perſonally, as a Father; He is your Father, John 20. 17. I am a Father to Iſrael, Jer. 31. 9. As the Sonne, as God manifeſted in the fleſh, he is your Chriſt; Chriſt gives himſelf to be yours. And as the holy Ghoſt, ſo alſo he is yours. Oh what a Covenant is this, wherein the covenanted have ſuch a propriety. The eternal God is my God; The All-ſufficient God is my God; The holy Ghoſt is my God; The merciful God is my God; The omnipotent, loving, gracious God is my God; and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt is my Father; and Jeſus Chriſt, God the Sonne is my God; and God the holy Ghoſt is mine. I have an intereſt in him and them, and I have a communion and fellowſhip with them.
3. Engagement of himſelf, with all that he hath, and all that he can do. What Engagement of himſelf.a God can be or can do for your good; Thus farre doth God engage unto his people when he makes a Covenant with them to be their God; he makes over himſelf, and all, by bond unto you: what I am, I am to you, and for you; and what I have or can do, it ſhall be for you. I am the holy God, I will be Holineſſe to you; I am the merciful God, I will be merciful to your tranſgreſſions; I am the gracious God, I will ſhew favour to you, and will freely love and bleſſe you; I am the All-ſufficient God, and I will be a Sunne and a Shield unto you; I am the Omnipotent God, I will up old you by the right hand of my power; I am All, and will be All in All unto you; I am God bleſſed for ever; and I will be Bleſſedneſſe to you; for my Covenant with you, is the engagement of my ſelf, and of all good unto you.
4. Perpetuity. I will be a God unto you, or I will be your God in a Covenant of Grace; it is as if he ſhould ſay, I will be a God unto you, as long as I am God; Perpetuity.I am God for ever; and I will be your God for ever. This God is our God for ever and ever, Pſal. 48. 14. I will love you and bleſſe you for ever. Did I not ſay aright, when I told you, that Gods engaging of himſelf to be our God in the Covenant, was the ſoul, the life, the ſumme of the Covenant? what can we have more, or deſire more? A God to be our God, a merciful, gracious, bleſſed, bleſſing God, to be our merciful, gracious, our bleſſed, our bleſſing God, and all this as long as he is God, for ever, and for ever.
3. In this Covenant he promiſeth, that we ſhall be his people, Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. So Ezek. 11. 20. They ſhall be He promiſeth we ſhall be his people.my people, and I will be their God. Zach. 13, 9. I will ſay It is my people, and they ſhall ſay The Lord is my God. This is the Covenant; This mutual engagement on either ſide is it, I will be your God, and you ſhall be my people. This is a Marriage, I will be your Husband, and you ſhall be my wife: I take you to to be my Husband; and I take you to be my wife; This Reciprocal conſent, and this Reciprocal agreement, Thou ſhalt be mine, and I will be thine; Thou ſhalt be for me, and I will be for thee, Hoſ. 3. 3. this makes the marriage: So the Reciprocal acceptance, conſent, and agreement betwixt God and us makes up the Covenant between us, in the very formal and vital nature of it.
Here are two queſtions unto which I would ſpeak a few things.
Queſt. 1 What this expreſſion of the Covenant imports, you ſhall be my people; or what it is to be a people in Covenant with God.What it is to be a p…ople in Covenant.
As there is ſome ſingular thing in that Covenant expreſſion, I will be your God, or I will be a God to you; So there is ſome ſpecial thing in that Covenant expreſſion likewiſe, you ſhall be my people, or you ſhall be to me for a people: And if I miſtake not, there are three things in it.
Sol. 1. A Separation; you ſhall not be any others, nor for any other but for my ſelf; Three things in it. A ſeparation.and this is expreſſey declared, Deut. 29. 12, 13. That thou ſhouldeſt enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God—That he may eſtabliſh thee to day for a people unto himſelf: and chap. 7. 6. The Lord thy God hath choſen thee to be a ſp…cial people unto himſelf; and chap. 16. 6. The Lord hath choſen thee to be a peculiar people unto himſelf. 2 Cor. 6. 17, 18. Come out from amongſt them, and be ye ſeperate ſaith the Lord—And I will be a Father unto you, and you ſhall be my ſonnes and daughters, ſaith the Lord God Almighty.
2. A dedi…ation of our ſelves to God. A kinde of conſecration, wherein we chooſe him to be our God, and binde our ſelves to him to be his. A willing A dedication of our ſelves to God.choyce, Deut. 26. 17. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God—verſe 18. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people. Iſa. 63. 19. We are thine, thou never bareſt rule over them, they were not called by thy name. Iſa. 64. 9. Behold, ſee we beſeech thee, we are all thy people. Pſal. 116. 16. Oh Lord, truly I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant. Pſal. 119. 94. I am thine, ſave me, &c.
3. An obligation to hearken unto him, to obey him, and to walk with him. An obligation to obey him.Deut. 27. 9, 10. Take heed and hearken O Iſrael; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God, Thou ſhalt therfore obey the voyce of the Lord thy God, and do his c…mmandments, and his ſtatutes which I command thee this day. Joſ. 24. 22. Ye are witneſſes againſt your ſelves that you have choſen the Lord to ſerve him; and they ſaid, we are witneſſes.
Queſt. 2 How we come to be his people, whether by any voluntary act of our own, or How we come to be Gods people in Covenant.by the ſole effect of his grace, becauſe he ſaith, ye ſhall be my people.
For the reſolution of this, know, that the Covenant may be conſidered two ways.
Sol. 1. As to the Platforme of its conſtitution: which ſhews of what forme the contracting is, when God declares that he as a God makes over himſelf unto his The Covenant may be conſidered As to the Platforme of its conſtitution. As to the real execution of itpeople and his people make over themſelves unto him.
2. As to the real and effectual execution of this, in an actual and mutual acceptation of each other, and obligation of themſelves to each other. Thus conſidered, you muſt diſtinguiſh betwixt the act of voluntary conſent in the people or perſons covenanting with God, and betwixt the cauſe of that willing conſent, election and eſtimation; There is a voluntary conſent in all the people of the Covenant, They do take the Lord to be their God, and they do reſigne, ſurrender up, and give themſelves to be his people, and agree to walk with him; But then this ariſeth not from their own power and ability, but only from the love and power of the Grace of God, who in effectual vocation, doth not only ſay You ſhall be my people, but alſo makes them ſo to be; They become his people, but he makes them willing to be ſo; They agree to all that he requires, but it is becauſe he enables them ſo to do.
Before I paſſe from this, I ſhall make ſome Uſe of it.
Uſe 1. Is this the New Covenant, That God is to us a God, and that we are to him a people? That he promiſeth that he will be our God, and we promiſe that we will be his people? and is this the vital and chief part of the Covenant, that This is matter of admiration.God is, and will be our God? Oh then, what matter of admiration is this? What wonders of love and kindneſse are manifeſted in this! Judas (not Iſcariot) wondred at the peculiar manifeſtations of Chriſt unto the Diſciples, John 14. 22. What is the cauſe that thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf to us, and not unto the world! And David wondred at Gods Promiſe to eſtabliſh his houſe and throne for ever before him, 2 Sam. 7. 16. Then went King David and ſate before the Lord, and he ſaid, Who am I O Lord God! and what is my houſe that thou haſt brought me hitherto! verſe 18. And this was yet a ſmall thing in thy ſight Oh Lord God, but …hou haſt ſpoken of thy ſervants houſe for a great while to …ome; and is this the manner of man Oh Lord God! verſe 19. And Moſes wondred at the great work of Providence in the deliverance of Iſrael, and drowning of Phar…oh, Who is like unto thee O Lord amongſt the gods, who is like thee! Glorious in holineſſe, fearful in praiſes, doing wonders, Exod. 15. 11. All theſe things, and many more there are, which afford wonder and admiration to us; But this one thing, that God is our God, and that he promiſeth in the Covenant to be our God, and that we ſhall be his people, is of all other the moſt amazing truth, and the moſt wonderful goodneſſe; Behold what manner of love the Father hath And is moſt wonderful.bestowed upon us, that we ſhould be called the ſonnes of God, 1 John 3. 1. This is moſt wonderful, whether you conſider, 1. God himſelf. 2. Or our ſelves. Or, Whether we conſider3ly. The comprehenſive efficacy of this. Or, 4ly. Other things in compariſon with this. Or, 5ly. The fulneſſe of it.
1. If you conſider God himſelf. In himſelf, he is the Almighty God, the God himſelf.great poſſeſſor of heaven and earth, the eternal God, infinite in holineſſe, and wiſdome, and power, there is no end of his greatneſſe: He is the Lord, the Lord merci…ul, gracious, long-ſuffering, abundant in goodneſſe …nd truth, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion and ſinne, a God high above all gods.
Now what wonder is it, that this God will ſo farre abaſe himſelf as to become our God, to give himſelf, and to beſtow himſelf upon us, and to own us for his people, his peculiar, his choyce treaſure.
2. If you conſider us in our ſelves: What is man that thou art mindful of Us in our ſelves.him! or the ſonne of man that thou viſiteſt him! ſaith David, Pſalme 8. 4. Much more wonderful is it to ſay, What is ſinful man, that thou regardeſt him! or what is fallen man, that thou ſhouldeſt enter into Covenant with him! It was much that the great God ſhould make a Covenant with man in the ſtate of innocency; it is much more that he ſhould renew a Covenant with him in the ſtate of enmity: for the righteous God to covenant with righteous man, is not ſo wonderful, as for the holy God to make a Covenant with unholy man: To be a friend unto a friend is much leſſe than to be a friend unto an enemy: To ſhew favour to one who never deſerved wrath, is inferiour to this, viz. to ſhew the greateſt kindneſſe to one who deſerves the greateſt wrath, and utter rejection. As to requite evil for good, is the greateſt ingratitude; ſo to return good for evil, is the greateſt kindneſſe.
3. If you conſider the comprehenſive efficacy of this, that God is to us a God The comprehenſive efficacy of this.in Covenant. This comprehends in it, all good, all love, all mercy, all bleſſings whatſoever. If God be our God, all good muſt be our good: heaven and earth are ſetled upon you: all is given unto you, when God gives himſelf unto you: He is your Sunne, and your Shield; He will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold. How wonderful is this, that God ſhould be our God in a Covenant of grace! We wonder at Adams intereſts, and poſſeſſions: But the intereſts and enjoyments of the ſinner, being brought into this Covenant with God, as they are more certaine and ſtable, ſo they are more high and full. You are now intereſſed in ſuch mercies, and in ſuch fruitions which Adam never did, or could taſte of in his original ſtate of righteouſneſſe.All other gifts in compariſon with this.
4. If you conſider all other gifts in compariſon with this gift, I will be your God. The gifts which God beſtows upon his people, are very many, and very rich, yet none of them is comparable unto this gift of himſelf in Covenant. None of his earthly and temporal gifts; theſe are lower than his ſpiritual and eternal gifts: they are farre ſhort of them, and therefore farre ſhort of God. The leaſt ſpiritual gift tranſcends all earthly and temporal gifts. And none of his ſpiritual gifts, I ſay none of theſe is to be matched or compared with himſelf. Grace is not ſuch a gift as the God of grace: Mercy is not ſuch a gift as the God of mercy: Peace is not ſuch a gift as the God of peace: Nor holineſſe, as is the God of holineſſe: Nor happineſſe, as is the God of happineſſe: No, nor Chriſt himſelf; for the end of giving of Chriſt is to bring us unto God, to the enjoyment of him; and ſurely the end for which any thing is given, is above the means for which it is given.
5. If you conſider the fulneſſe of this, That God gives himſelf unto us to be our God. It is the uppermoſt, and it is the utmoſt of all Donations: As there is nothing better, ſo there is nothing more to be given. God cannot give you a greater, nor a better, nor any more good, when he hath given unto you himſelf. It is as much as you muſt, and as much as you can expect and deſire; you cannot have more on earth, and you cannot have more in heaven. The enjoyment of God himſelf for our God, is All. And now tell me whether this be not-wonderful and amazing, that ſuch a God ſhould give himſelf to ſuch miſerable, poor, loathſome and unworthy ſinners in ſuch a gracious Covenant.
Uſe. 2. Is this the Covenant of grace (at leaſt the moſt noble and vital part of Try our ſelves whether we be in Covenant with God.it) that God is our God, and that we are his people? then let us try our ſelves whether we be within this Covenant of grac…, yea or no. Can you (upon good grounds) ſay, This God is our God, or the Lord is my God; My God, and my Lord, and my Father. Laban could ſay, the God of your Father, …en. 31. 29. and Pharaoh could ſay, entreat the Lord your God, Exod. 10. 17. but neither of theſe could ſay, th… Lord my God. You read of ſome to whom the Lord ſpeaks, Ye are not my people, and I will not be your God, Hoſ. 1. 9. and the Apoſtle ſpeaks of ſome, who were strangers from the Covenant of promiſe, having no hope, and without God in the world, Epheſ. 2. 12. This is one difference betwixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace, that the one is univerſal, extending to all mankinde, but the other is particular, and is reſtrained only to Believers: There is no diſtinction of perſons in the one, but there is a limitation of perſons in the other. God is not a God (in a Covenant of grace) unto all, nor can all look on him and own him as their God in Covenant.
Now becauſe this is a very weighty buſineſſe, I ſhall therefore propound four things to diſcourſe upon.
1. Some clear characters of ſuch people who (as yet) have not the Lord to be their God in Covenant.
2. The extreme miſery and infelicity of ſuch perſons.
3. The infallible evidences by which you may know that the Lord is your God in the Covenant of grace.
4. The admirable comforts proper to thoſe who can (upon that account) ſay, that God is to them a God, and that the Lord is their God in Covenant.