The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 6 · Section 2 – Section 3
SECT. II.
Queſt 1. BUt now come three Queſtions, what Faith that is which is neceſſary, and which muſt be put forth to bring us into the Covenant, and without which we neither are, nor can be in Covenant with God.
2. Whether Faith only be the condition?What faith it is that is the condition.
3. Why Faith is the condition?
1. What Faith it is that is the condition?
Sol. There are ſeveral diſtinctions of Faith conſidered in the kindes of it, of which I ſhall not ſpeak; and there are ſeveral conditions of the ſame Faith in reſpect of the particular acts iſſuing or following from it.
1. That Faith which brings us into the Covenant, is a Faith which reſpects A faith which reſpects ChriſtChriſt, or which is converſant about Chriſt. No other Faith but this Faith; and of this Faith there are divers acts. 1. One is an uniting act. 2. And there is a juſtifying act. 3. A third is a drawing act.
The faith which brings us into the Covenant, is that faith which doth unite us unto A faith that doth unite us to Chriſt.Chriſt, which makes us one with him: And we being thus united to Chriſt, we are thereupon, and therefore in the Covenant: Faith conſidered as juſtifying, doth not bring us into the Covenant; for our juſtifying follows our being in the Covenant; we muſt firſt be in the Covenant before we can have Righteouſneſſe and forgiveneſſe of ſins. Neither doth faith as drawing any grace from Chriſt bring us into the Covenant: Foraſmuch as all the fruits of communion are conſequents unto us being firſt in the Covenant. But it is faith conſidered only as uniting us unto Chriſt which brings us into the Covenant.
For the opening of this Point (which is as difficult and weighty as any that I meet with) give me favour to enlarge my ſelf a little in ſhewing unto you
1. That there is an union twixt Chriſt and us.
2. That faith is the means or inſtrument of that union.
3. That our intereſt in the Covenant neceſſarily flows from this union with Chriſt.
1. That there is an union twixt Chriſt and us, not an imaginary union, an union There is a union betwixt Chriſt and us.only in the apprehenſion of the minde (as an object apprehended is conveyed and united to the intellect) but a very real union: Hence it is that the Church is called the Body, and Chriſt is called the Head, Epheſ. 5. 23. Chriſt is the Head of the Church, and he is the Saviour of the body. And verſe 30 Ye are members of his body, and of his fleſh, and of his bon…s. Now there is a real union 'twixt the body and the head, and between every member of the body and of the head; they are all joyned to the head by the Nerves and Ligatures from whence they receive their ſenſation and ſtrength. In like manner there is an union between us and Chriſt, we are joyned to the Lord, (1 Cor. 6. 17.) and he is …oyned unto us, &c.
The Church is called a building, and houſe, and Christ is called the foundation and corner-ſtone, Eph. 2. 20. We are built upon the foundation of the Apoſtles and Prophets, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf being the Corner-ſtone, 1 Pet. 2. 4. To whom coming as unto a living ſtone, verſe 5 ye alſo as lively ſtones are built up a ſpiritual houſe, &c. There is an union twixt the building and the foundation, the building depends upon the foundation, and the foundation bears up the building.
The Church is the Branches, and Chriſt is the Vine, Joh. 15. 5. I am the Vine, and ye are the branches: The living branches have their union with the roots, there they grow, and there they live, and are nouriſhed.
The Church is called the Spouſe and Wife of Chriſt, and Chriſt the Husband: I will marry thee to my ſelf, Hoſea 2. 19. I have eſpouſed you unto one husband, ſaith Paul, 2 Cor. 11. 2. And twixt them the union is ſo near, that they are called one fleſh, Gen. 2. 24. ſo likewiſe are Chriſt and they who are united to Chriſt called one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17.
2. That faith is the means and inſtrument of our union with Chriſt: By which we Faith is the inſtrument of our union.are near to him, enjoy him, are joyned unto him, poſſeſſe him as ours. And this the Scripture holds forth unto us abundantly in the ſeveral expreſſions of faith: Our believing is ſometimes ſtiled a coming to Chriſt; Come unto me; and No man comes to me except, &c. A receiving of Chriſt, Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him, &c. A livingly Chriſt, and a living in Chriſt. Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo, Joh. 14. 19. I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the fleſh, I live by the faith of the ſon of God, Gal. 2. 20. and a joyning to Chriſt, 1 Cor. 6. 17. A being in Chriſt: Ye are in Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and that is by faith. A partaking of Chriſt, a planting of us into Chriſt, and Chriſt is ſaid to dwell in us by faith, and ſo do we dwell in him by faith, and abide in him by faith. A eating and drinking of Chriſt, Joh. 6. 56.
When the Spirit of God works faith in our hearts, our hearts are now brought in to Chriſt; they are ſubdued and captivated: We embrace Chriſt, and we come in to Chriſt; and Chriſt is ours, and we are his, and the whole heart ir ſetled upon Chriſt, and knit unto Chriſt, and becomes one with Chriſt.
3. Our intereſt in the Covenant neceſſarily follows from this union with Chriſt. Our intereſt in the Covenant … from …. The …enāt was … …ade with Chriſt, and … us in relation to Chriſt.Being brought by faith into Chriſt, you are now in the Covenant: And that I ſhall clear unto you thus.
1. The Covenant of God was made firſt with Chriſt as the head of the Church, and with us in relation unto Chriſt, and with Chriſt in relation to us, Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God promiſed before the world began: To whom did he promiſe that eternal life for us, but unto Chriſt? with whom he did Covenant for us, and in whom with us, Iſa. 42. 6. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. The ſame you read in Iſa. 49. 8. Jeſus Chriſt is not only the Meſſenger of the Covenant, Mal. 3. 1. nor only the ſurety of the Covenant, Heb. 7. 22. nor only the Mediatour of the Covenant, as ſtanding twixt God and us, Heb. 12. 24. but he is the principal confederate in the Covenant. Chriſt ſtands as a publick perſon in the Covenant; and when God made a Covenant with him, he made it with him for himſelf and all his, with all that ſhould be brought in unto him. As Adam ſtood in the Covenant of works, not as a private perſon, but as a publick perſon, and that Covenant was made with him, and with all his poſterity; ſo the Covenant which God made with Chriſt, it was made with Chriſt as a publick perſon, as the Head of all the Church with him and all his: And therefore as ſoon as you are brought in by faith to Chriſt, you are immediately brought into the Covenant.
2. In Christ, and by Chriſt God is our God, and our Father; and therefore if by faith you are brought into Christ, you are brought into the Covenant: Let God In and by Chriſt God is our God.look on us as out of Chriſt, he muſt look on us as enemies, and not as children; and if we look on God out of Chriſt, we muſt behold him as our Judge, but not as our Father. But conſider us as brought into Chriſt, now we are reconciled to God; and now in what relation God ſtands to Chriſt, in the ſame he ſtands to us; and in what relation Chriſt ſtands to God, in the ſame do we ſtand to God. And what priviledge Chriſt enjoyes, the ſame do we enjoy by Chriſt; he is a God to Chriſt, and a Father to Chriſt, Pſal. 89. 26. He ſhall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, &c. And thus we being in Chriſt, he is to us. Joh. 20. 17. I aſcend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God; and Chriſt is the Son of God, and ſo are we the ſons of God, 1 Joh. 3. 1. Chriſt is the Heir of God, and ſo are we heirs of God, and joynt heirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8. 17.
3. When you are by faith brought into union with Chriſt (ſo that you are his) Being by faith united to Chriſt we enjoy all bleſſingsyou now enjoy life, and promiſes, and all bleſſings, 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son, hath life. 1 Cor. 3. 22. All are yours: verſe 23. and you are Christs, and Chriſt is Gods. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promiſes, and you may plead them all, for they are yea, and in Chriſt Amen. Epheſ 1. 3. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord jeſus Chriſt who hath bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly places in Chriſt.
4. This union with Chriſt directly ſtands in oppoſition to a ſinners being cut off Our union with Chriſt brings us into a ſtate of favour.from God, and brings him again into a ſtate of favour. The ſoule can no more receive ought from God, till it be one with him by Chriſt, than Chriſt could merit any thing for us till the Deity and the fleſh were fully united: and no more than the ſoul can impart any thing to the body till they be one.
Thus have you heard what faith that is, which is the condition of the Covenant; viz. A faith of union, a faith which brings us into Chriſt, and unites us with Chriſt: I now proceed unto the ſecond queſtion.
SECT. II.
2. Queſt. WHether Faith only be the Condition of the Covenant? Is Whether faith only be the condition of the Covenant.not Holineſſe required? Is not Repentance? Is not new obedience?
Sol. For anſwer unto this, we muſt diſtinguiſh
1. Between the Covenant, and perſons in the Covenant: If you ſpeak of perſons Diſtinguiſh betwixt the Covenant, and the perſons in the Covenant.in the Covenant, certainly holineſs is required of them (ye ſhall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy; and be ye holy, for I am holy) and holineſs is promiſed to all the people in Covenant: And holineſſe is wrought in all the people of the Covenant: All the people of God are a holy people; but though holineſs be in the Covenanted, yet it is not in the condition of the Covenant: God doth not ſay, If you be holy, then I will be your God and accept of you, but if you believe; when you are brought into the Covenant, then you are made holy; but that which brings you into the Covenant, that which God inſiſts with you for ſo as to be your God, is faith. Receive my Chriſt, believe on him, and I will be your God.
2. Though Faith be the only condition as to entrance in the Cvenant, yet this faith will Though faith be the only condition, yet it brings us to holineſs.bring you to holineſs as a fruit of the Covenant. For this faith brings you to Chriſt, to union with him, and communion with him in holineſs: As ſoon as faith brings you into union with Chriſt, Chriſt makes you partakers of that unction of holineſs wherewith he himſelf is anointed.
3. There is a difference 'twixt the perſons to whom promiſes are made, and the There is a difference betwixt the perſons to whom the promiſes are made, and the condition upon which they are performed. New obedience is a conſequent effect, and not an antecedent condition.condition upon which thoſe promiſes are performed. Indeed you read of many promiſes made to broken-hearted and penitent perſons, but the application of them all is only by Faith: The forgiveneſs of ſin cannot be applyed by any hand but that of faith which ſeed the promiſe of it, and ſeeks the performance of it by and for Chriſt.
4. For newneſs of obedience, this is a conſequent effect, and not an Autecedent condition; for it is impoſſible to ſee fruits till you finde life: And beſides this, that faith which lets you into Covenant, is a very fruitful Faith, it graffs you into ſuch a root which can enable you (and will do ſo) for fruits of life, as the firſt Adam doth his Branches for fruits of death: So then it is faith, and faith only which is the condition of the Covenant, yet it is ſuch a faith, which though it takes no graces or works with it as competitors in the nature of a condition with it, yet it doth inferre and draw after it all theſe Graces, and all good works, as Auſtin ſaid, Bona opera ſequuntur juſtificatum, licèt non praecedunt juſtificandum, &c.
SECT. III.
3. Queſt. VVHy is Faith ſingled out to be the condition of the Covenant Why faith is the only condition.of Grace?
Sol. 1. There is nothing whatſoever which doth ſo fit and anſwer a Covenant of Grace as Faith doth; for in this Covenant God deals in promiſes, and by a Mediatour: Faith beſt anſwers the Covenant of graceAnd the promiſes are objects proper to faith: As precepts are to obedience, and threatnings to fear, ſo are promiſes to faith: And for Jeſus Chriſt the Mediatour, deale with him you cannot but by faith.
Object. Indeed love deals with Chriſt as well as faith (Chriſt is the object of our love, and of our faith) But then here
1. That love deals with Chriſt in the ſtrength of faith; firſt faith deales, and then love deales with Chriſt.
2. Though love deals with Chriſt, yet it is another way than faith: Love is bringing into Chriſt, but Faiths work is receiving all from Chriſt, and reſting on Chriſt, &c.
2. There is nothing but Faith which will, or can acknowledge a free Covenant: And all as freely given unto us: Set up any thing but faith, and that will ſet up us, Nothing but faith will acknowledge a free Covenant.and pull down grace: Any thing but faith muſt be ſomething in our ſelves; and ſomething in our ſelves will deprive grace of the glory, yea it will deny grace; but faith will do none of this, becauſe faith is a meere gift of grace, and faith receives all as free gift, findes nothing in us at all, but rece…ves all, and lives wholly on the grace of God in Chriſt.
3. It is of faith, that the promiſes might be ſure; ſo the Apoſtle, Rom. 4. 16. It is of faith that the promiſe might be ſure.Adam had a Covenant as well as we (and therefore ſome obſerve that he had one ſacrament of death, & another of life, to aſſure him of death in caſe he ſinned, as wel as to aſſure him of life in caſe he obeyed) becauſe it was made upon condition of works: And truely if Adam who was ſo every w…y furniſhed, could not hold up a Covenant upon a Condition of works, much leſs ſhould we do it, being now utterly broken by him: But now the promiſe of …ife being made to us upon condition of faith, it is therefore made ſure; for …aith builds upon a ſure foundation, and faith hath a ſure word of promiſe.
4. The Covenant of grace excludes all boaſtings in our ſelves, Rom. 3. 27. and Faith excludes all boaſting in our ſelves.therefore faith is neceſſary for us; for boaſting is excluded, not by the Law of works, but by the Law of Faith, Ibid. If you ſhould put in works for the condition, then the ſinner would be ready to boaſt, All this I have kept from my youth. This have I done, and that have I done, and I never offended thy will; the wages is due debt to me: O but this muſt never be, &c.
5. There are ſuch things undertaken in the Covenant, as nothing but faith can tell Nothing but faith can tell what to make of the things undertaken in the Covenant.what to make of them. I will forgive your iniquities, and will give you a new heart, and I will heale your back-ſlidings, and I will love them freely, and I will forgive your ſins for mine owne ſake. Theſe are abſolute Myſteries without faith.
Before I proceed any further in this Point, I would make ſome uſeful Application of what I have delivered already. Is Faith the condition of the Conant?