A Discourse of the Two Covenants, Book 2 · Chapter 3 · Section 1
SECT. I. The Covenant as made with Believers, explicated and demonſtrated.
§. 1. THat the Covenant of Grace was made with Chriſt primarily, as the ſecond Adam, has been formerly cleared unto you; but when we look farther into the Scripture, we find alſo that God did eſtabliſh that Covenant with the Faithful, and with their ſeed; and this the Text holds forth clearly to you, when I have but premiſed this poſition, That the Covenant that God made with Abraham, is the ſame for ſubſtance with the Covenant, under which the Saints under the New-Teſtament do, and ſhall ſtand to the end of the world, Luk. 1.72.which I conceive is to perform the mercy promiſed to our Fathers, and to remember his holy Covenant, the oath which he ſware to our Father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of all our enemies might ſerve him without fear, &c. and Rom. 4.11. He received the ſign of Circumciſion as a ſeal of the rigteouſneſs of Faith, which he had being yet uncircumciſed, that he might be the Father of them that believe, though they be not circumciſed, and the Father of circumciſion to them who are not of the circumciſion only, but do walk in the ſteps of the faith of our Father Abraham; and therefore verſ. 16. he is ſaid to be the Father of us all, If you are Chriſts, then are you Abrahams ſeed, and heirs of the Promiſe: and Galat. 4.28. now we brethren, as Iſaac was, are children of the promiſe, &c. ſo that both Jews and Gentiles are Abrahams ſeed, becauſe they come under Abrahams Covenant; therefore there is the ſame Covenant now for ſubſtance,Act. 3.25. that was made with Abraham: and hence Acts 3.25. 'tis ſaid, ye are the children of the Covenant, which God made with your Fathers: Therefore as Abrahams Covenant, ſo the Covenant made with the Saints is made with them and with their ſeed. Hence we do learn in the next place,
Doctrine. Doctrine, That the Covenant of grace that was principally made with Chriſt, is alſo made with the faithful, the members of Chriſt. In the opening of this Doctrine there are three things to be ſpoken to, (1) To prove that the Covenant is made with the Saints. (2) To ſhew why it muſt be ſo. (3) To ſhew the different manner how it's made with Chriſt, and with them.
1. That the Covenant of grace is made with the Saints, and they are all federates therein, Rom. 5. 1 Cor. 15.47.will appear by theſe arguments. 1. From the type of the firſt Adam, for he is made the type of him that was to come: Now the Covenant that God did make with Adam was not made with him only, but with all his poſterity; as appears plainly, becauſe the curſe of the Covenant being broken comes upon them all; in Adam all dyed becauſe in him all ſinned; now the Covenant muſt be as large as the Curſe, and the Curſe coming upon them muſt argue the Covenant to be made with them: and ſo it is in the ſecond Covenant alſo, God has not only taken Chriſt into Covenant, but he being an everlaſting Father has taken in all his ſeed; for he is the Father of all the faithful, and the Lord enters into Covenant with them alſo. So that all his poſterity were bound unto the ſame Covenant, and to perform the ſame obedience, or to endure the ſame Curſe that he did, if they did tranſgreſs. And whereas it may be ſaid then, as all that was required of the firſt Adam lay upon his poſterity, ſo all that is required of the ſecond, lies upon his poſterity alſo; and as what Adam was to perform, they were in their own perſons to perform, ſo what Chriſt did perform that alſo lies upon all his poſterity to perform: in this there is a great deal of difference between Adam and Chriſt; the firſt Adam ſtood before God as a publick perſon, as a repreſentative head, that is, ſuch a one as perſonates and acts the part of another by the allowance of the Law; ſo that what he doth is by the Law accounted to be done by him whom he repreſents, and what is done unto him is accounted by the Law to be done unto the other: ſo in the Law an Attorney appears for another, receives money or takes poſſeſſion for another, and that ſtands good in Law, as if a man had done it in his own perſon; and ſo Embaſſadors do repreſent the Princes or States from whence they come, and from whom they are ſent; what they do, the Prince that ſends them is accounted by the Law of Nations to do, if they act according to their commiſſion; and what is done unto them, the Prince doth take as done unto himſelf, &c. And ſo indeed Adam was a Common or a Publick perſon ſtanding in our ſtead, that what he did was accounted to be ours, whether to righteouſneſs and life, or unto ſin and death; but yet ſo, that had he ſtood, the ſame obedience was in their own perſons required of his poſterity for themſelves as was required of Adam, though not with the ſame reſpect; not as publick perſons and repreſentative heads; ſo that if they had not performed it, they had fallen for themſelves, though all mankind had not fallen, if Adam had ſtood; for the woman was firſt in the tranſgreſſion, 1 Tim. 2.Rom. 5.12. and yet though the woman fell firſt, all mankind did not fall in her fall; but by one man ſin entred into the world, and therefore it was not every ſin of a particular perſon, that would have deſtroyed all mankind, but of their repreſentative only. But the ſecond Covenant hath this in it, that the firſt never had in Adam, the ſecond Covenant hath a ſurety, and that is ſomething more than a publick perſon, that is one that repreſents another, and ſtands in his place, and is bound unto his debt; ſo that if the perſon ingaged pay not the debt, the ſurety muſt; and ſo Adam was not the ſurety for all mankind, that he would perform the debt or bear the curſe for them all; there was no Covenant that had a Surety but Chriſt, and he was a ſurety of the firſt Covenant,Gal. 4.4. made under the Law, and of a better Covenant to perform all the duties of the Goſpel. So that all that is required is of Chriſt as the ſecond Adam, only in his publick capacity and repreſentation; the Law is required of us, but if we perform it not, we have a ſurety that has undertaken it. Thus as the firſt Covenant was made with the firſt Adam and all his poſterity, ſo the ſecond Covenant is made with the ſecond Adam and all his poſterity alſo.
2. We read of a Covenant made with Perſons and people, and promiſed unto them as ſpecial mercies, a Covenant made with Abraham and Iſaac, a Covenant made with David, 2 Sam. 23.5. The Lord has made with me an everlaſting Covenant in all things ordered and ſure. And there is a Covenant made with a people alſo, Jer. 31.31. God made a Covenant with the houſe of Judah, a Covenant that he would bring them under the bonds of the Covenant, and Eſa. 55.3. Every one that thirſts come to the waters, &c. and I will make an everlaſting Covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David, and Ezec. 16. I entred into Covenant with thee, and thou becameſt mine; and therefore Zac. 9.12. By the blood of thy Covenant I have delivered the priſoners out of the pit, in which there is no water.
3. Men are ſaid to make the Covenant and to break it: Hezekiah exhorts them, 2 Chron. 30.7, 8. to give the hand unto the Lord: 2 Chron. 30.7, 8.it's an expreſſion of entring into Covenant; as ſtriking the hand is in the Proverbs an expreſſion of entring into ſuretiſhip for another: there are four expreſſions of it in 1 Chron. 29.24. All the Princes, and the mighty men; and all the houſe of the Kingdom gave their hands unto Solomon: it notes a military ſubjection by way of Covenant and agreement between them, they did take an oath of Allegiance unto him. And ſo that expreſſion to joyn the hand, Ezeck. 17.18. He hath broken the Covenant after he had given his hand, &c. and Job 17.3. to ſtrike hand is to enter into ſuretiſhip or to be engaged in a Covenant; ſo the ſaints are ſaid to enter into Covenant with the Lord by ſacrifice, Pſal. 50.5. Eſay 56.and they are ſaid to take hold of the Covenant: again they are ſaid to break the Covenant, which could not be if the Covenant were not made with them; and not to be faithful and conſtant therein, Pſal. 25.10. Lev. 26.15.
4. It will appear from the promiſes of the ſecond Covenant, though it's true, that they are all yea and amen in him, yet are they properly and formally made unto us, either the firſt promiſes of grace or elſe of reward unto grace. Promiſes of grace are, He will give his Spirit, and will give repentance, he will heal our backslidings, &c. and we have an unction from the holy one, &c. And reward of ſervice done, either in the inward diſpoſitions, Bleſſed are the pure in ſpirit, bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, &c. or in the outward action, 1 Cor. 9.24. So run that you may obtain; 1 Cor. 15. ult.your labour is not in vain in the Lord. And though the Covenant be made only out of free grace, yet the Saints do claim theſe promiſes, not only out of mercy, but from the faithfulneſs of God.1 Cor. 10.19. 1 Jo. 1.9. 2 Tim. 4.8. God is faithful who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that you are able: he is faithful and juſt to forgive us, &c. And what is the ground of this but the Covenant of God, whereby his faithfulneſs is ingaged?
5. The Covenant of grace is a Covenant in the hand of a Mediator, and confirmed by the death of the Teſtator;Heb. it's not only a Covenant, but it's a Teſtament. (1) Chriſt is the Mediator; now no man is a mediator between God and himſelf, a Mediator is not a Mediator of one, it muſt be a third perſon, a dayes-man, that muſt lay hold upon both; therefore there is a Covenant made with Chriſt, and Chriſt is a Mediator for the eſtabliſhment of the Covenant with us alſo. And (2) Chriſt is the Teſtator, he died and left his Legacies of all the promiſes to the ſaints; now no man gives a Legacy to himſelf. In the Covenant made between the Father and Chriſt, Chriſt is a party and a publick perſon; but in this Covenant between God and us, he is a Mediator and the Teſtator, by whom we receive all the Legacies and Inheritance, that he has purchaſed for us and granted to us.
Rom. 4.11.6. The Sacraments are ſeals of the Covenant of grace: Now if we look upon the Covenant made with Chriſt, and conſider that his faith was perfect in God, and he knew the Lord would not fail him, but ſaies, He is near that juſtifies me, who will contend with me? he will not leave my ſoul in Hell, &c. But though Chriſt had a ſtrong faith, yet we have but a weak faith, and therefore had need of Sacraments and outward ſigns to confirm it; wherefore the Sacraments are not to confirm the Covenant made with Chriſt, but the Covenant made with the Saints; he to whom the Covenant is made, unto him the ſeals are to be applied; and it would ſeem unreaſonable for the Covenant to be made unto one, and the ſeals to be applied unto the other; therefore there is a Covenant made with the ſaints, and to this Covenant the Sacraments are added as ſeals.
7. There is a double oath to confirm this Covenant, there is an oath made by God the Father to Chriſt, and there is an oath alſo made to us; there is an oath made unto Chriſt, and therefore he is ſaid to be made a Prieſt by a Covenant oath, Pſal. 110.4. and the oath to us, Heb. 6.17, 18. Who are heirs of promiſe, that by two immutable things, in which it was impoſſible for God to lie, &c. God having taken up unchangeable counſels concerning this Covenant, he did therefore to ſhew the Immutability of his Counſel confirm it by an oath, and being ſo engaged, he cannot go back, though that be true alſo, becauſe he is faithful and cannot deny himſelf. Yet becauſe his counſel was unchangeable, and he did never intend to alter his Covenant for ever, therefore he did ſwear, that he might ſhew how much his heart was in it, and that he did never intend to change it, but his counſel in it was unchangeable.
And this Doctrine I do the rather pitch upon in oppoſition to the licentious tenent of the Antinomians from the former Doctrine; The Covenant of grace is made with Chriſt, and he has undertaken to perform all duties required of us, and bear all the curſe for us as he was our ſurety; therefore ſay they, all is required of Chriſt, and nothing of us; and ſo though we walk never ſo looſly and corruptly, yet God will require all at his hands; and while Chriſt doth not fail, the Covenant on our part can never be broken. Indeed this is a truth, that God has laid help upon one that is mighty; and he does expect all at Chriſts hand, becauſe he can never fail, the Covenant cannot be broken, for he is the ſurety thereof: but yet we muſt remember withall, that we come under the ſame Covenant with Chriſt, and we in our place are bound unto the ſame obedience, and ſo far as we come ſhort, we ſin, and may be charged with unfaithfulneſs before God; though this ſhall never break the Covenant, nor be imputed unto a man to his deſtruction, becauſe this Covenant has a ſurety; yet as the Covenant with the firſt Adam bound all his poſterity unto the ſame duty, ſo does the Covenant made with the ſecond Adam alſo; only a man might have broken the firſt Covenant for himſelf, though he could not break it for all mankind; but under the ſecond Covenant a man cannot break the Covenant for himſelf, (ſo as not to be capable of mercy upon repentance) becauſe the ſecond Adam is the ſurety thereof.
2. The Reaſons why it was neceſſary that the Covenant of Grace ſhould be made with all the faithful, and not with Chriſt only as their head, are
Reaſon 1 1. To anſwer thoſe great ends, why God will deal with man in a Covenant way. (1) The Lord will enter into Covenant that he may declare his glory, not only in a way of goodneſs, but in a way of faithfulneſs. In the Creation, the Lord did ſhew forth much power and wiſdom; and in the Law much holineſs: But there was no way to manifeſt his faithfulneſs,Mic. 7.20. but by Covenant. The Lord hath choſen you above all people, that you might know that he is the Lord the faithful God. And Rom. 15.8, 9. there is the truth of God to the Jews herein manifeſted, and the mercy of God to the Gentiles, who were ſtrangers, and not before taken into Covenant; ſo that it is hereby the Lord doth gloriouſly manifeſt an Attribute, and that which ſhall manifeſt an Attribute muſt be no ſmall matter; and therefore when the Lord doth ſhew his power, he doth create the Heavens and the Earth, and lays the beams of his Chambers in the waters, raiſeth ſuch a roof as the Heavens, and lays ſuch a foundation as the earth, and ſettles it upon nothing; if he will ſhew his love, he will give his Son; and if his grace, he will pardon ſin; and if his holineſs, he will give a Law, if his mercy to the veſſels of mercy, give them Heaven, a kingdom of joy and glory; and if his wrath, he will make Hell. So that whatever the Lord hath done in the world, is for the manifeſtation of himſelf; and that which ſhall make manifeſt any Attribute of God to the World, muſt needs be ſome great thing. It is only this entering into Covenant, that hath manifeſted the faithfulneſs of God, he had not been elſe known to be a faithful God unto the World, as Exod. 3.6. ſays the Lord, By the name Jehovah I was not known to them; that is, as a God fulfilling of the promiſes: So by the name of a God faithful and true, he had not been known, but in reference to the Covenant; and the faithfulneſs of God was ſo much the more manifeſted by this. Had the Lord only entered into Covenant with Chriſt, he keeping the Covenant, and yielding obedience to it, the faithfulneſs of God had not been put to that ſtreſs and trial as it hath been, now that the Covenant is made with man, and he unſteady therein, and does tranſgreſs it, and forget the Covenant of his God, and yet that the Lord ſhould towards him remember his holy Covenant ſtill, and our unfaithfulneſs not make the faithfulneſs of God of none effect; and the people of God therefore notwithſtanding all their unfaithfulneſs, to caſt themſelves upon the Covenant of God and the promiſes thereof (as David did) 2 Sam. 23.5. and his words yet to be found, as it were tryed words, Pſal. 12.6. The words of the Lord are pure words, tryed as ſilver ſeven times, Pſal. 12.6.&c. The fire that tries theſe words was that of affliction, and when a man is brought into a ſtreight, and then caſts himſelf upon a promiſe, and thereby has experience of the truth and faithfulneſs of God therein, then it is ſaid to be tryed; and all the people of God have had experience of it ſo often, that there is no droſs to be found in it, no more than can be conceived to be in gold and ſilver purified ſeven times.
2. The Lords intention was to honour man alſo; and it's one of the greateſt and higheſt dignities that the Lord hath put upon his people,Jer. 13.11. to bind them unto himſelf for a name and a glory; and Deut. 26.18, 19. the Lord did avouch them to be his people, to make them high above all people; and therefore the ſtaff of beauty mentioned in Zach. 11.10. is the Covenant between God and his people; I brake my ſtaff of beauty, that I might break my Covenant which I made with all the people, &c. and it is a Covenant of friendſhip, a Covenant of marriage; and in all this there is an honour, and a kind of equality, and it's the ground of all the honour that the Lord doth put upon us; for our union with Chriſt is grounded upon our Covenant with God. Had the Lord taken Chriſt into Covenant with himſelf only, he had indeed honoured his Son, but not his Saints; but now to make them one with the Son, and to enter into the ſame Covenant with them, and in their own perſons, that he hath eſtabliſhed with the Son, it doth highly honour the Saints, and exalt the grace of God towards them alſo.
3. That the Lord might bind men unto him more firmly in a way of obedience, and that the obedience might be made the more ſweet. Man was bound unto God by a bond of creation; and from whom he had his being, unto him he did owe his ſervice; but the Lord will bind him unto him with a further cord and bond of ſtipulation; the one was natural and neceſſary, and the other voluntary; and though he did owe obedience, had there been never a promiſe made him of a reward, yet much more when the Lord will bind himſelf by Covenant, to reward his meaneſt ſervices. The ground of the Covenant is love,Deut. 7.7, 8. 2 Cor. 5.19. Jer. 31.3. Hoſ. 2.19. and God loves the Saints alſo in his Son, and is willing to be reconciled to them in him; and a man may ſay, the yoak of Chriſt is not only eaſie, but profitable alſo, Matt. 11.29. becauſe it hath a promiſe annexed to every ſervice; and for this cauſe was the Covenant made with the Saints, that they might be a willing people in all their obedience, there being a promiſe going with the duty in whatever was required of them.
4. That the people of God might exerciſe faith in their prayers, putting theſe bonds in ſuit that the Lord hath made over unto them, when they look upon themſelves as ſons of Abraham, Heirs of Promiſe, and Children of the Covenant, &c. and thereby they come with a great deal the more boldneſs before the throne of grace, as David, 1 Chron. 17.23, 24. Let the thing thou haſt ſpoken concerning thy ſervant and his houſe, be eſtabliſhed for ever; do as thou haſt ſaid, that thy name may be magnified for ever; the Lord of Hoſts is the God of Iſrael, even a God to Iſrael: For becauſe thou haſt told thy ſervant, that thou wilt build him an houſe, therefore hath thy ſervant found in his heart to pray before thee; now Lord thou art God, and haſt promiſed this goodneſs to thy ſervant; let it pleaſe thee to bleſs the houſe of thy ſervant, that it may be before thee for ever; for thou bleſſeſt, O Lord, and it ſhall be bleſſed for ever: have reſpect unto the Covenant, for all the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Reaſon 2 2. There is a Covenant made with the Saints alſo, that they may ſee that they are as ſtrictly bound to obedience in their own perſons, under the ſecond Covenant, as they were under the firſt Covenant; and that the doctrine of the Goſpel, though it be a Doctrine of liberty, yet is not a Doctrine of licentiouſneſs; there is as much of duty required of us now, as there was then; and ſo far as we come ſhort of the Law we ſin, and every ſuch tranſgreſſion is, ſo far as it prevails, a Covenant-breaking on our part, and an act of unfaithfulneſs; but the Covenant cannot be broken, becauſe we have a ſurety which the firſt Covenant had not; and the righteouſneſs of this Covenant ſin can never ſpend, it is an everlaſting righteouſneſs; therefore that Doctrine that ſaith God requires all of Chriſt and nothing of you, is a Doctrine of ſinful liberty; it's true, That he takes ſatisfaction in his Son, and he makes you accepted in his beloved, and therefore he will never ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail; for Pſal. 102.28. Thou art the ſame, and the children of thy ſervants ſhall continue, &c. yet in point of duty, he expects from us uprightneſs, and perfect obedience; ſo that it is your ſin and unfaithfulneſs, if you perform it not; as it was required of the firſt Adam, ſo of all his poſterity; and as of Chriſt, ſo of all his poſterity alſo.
3. That the Saints alſo may ſtand in awe of the threats of God under the ſecond Covenant; it's true there is no curſe there, for it is a covenant of bleſſing; but yet there is a double anger in God, paterna, & hoſtilis ira, ſimplex & redundans, &c. I will viſit their offences with a rod, and that with many ſharp and leſſer trials, and yet my Covenant I will not break; they ſhall be the ſure mercies of David ſtill, therefore Pſal. 119. he ſaith, Thou in faithfulneſs haſt afflicted me; becauſe God had in Covenant undertaken to preſerve him to his kingdom, therefore he could not elſe have been a faithful God; and there is alſo a faithfulneſs in the threatning executed, as well as there is in the promiſes performed; and that the hearts of the people of God may ſtand in awe thereof, therefore it is neceſſary, that as they ſhould remember all duty was not ſo performed by Chriſt, but that there is duty alſo in their place required of them; and all ſuffering was not ſo undergone by Chriſt, but that there may be ſuffering reſerved for them alſo; though not as a part of the curſe of the firſt Covenant, nor for ſatisfaction; yet as the threatning was for their unfaithfulneſs under the ſecond Covenant, ſo it is inflicted for their humiliation and ſanctification.
§. 3. Wherein lies the difference between the Covenant made with Chriſt, and with us? (1) It was made with Chriſt primarily as a publick perſon for all the Elect, but it is made with every one of us in the ſecond place as we are members of Chriſt; and ſo being in him, we come under his Covenant. (2) It is made with Chriſt immediately and for his own ſake, there was no mediator between God and Chriſt,2 Sam 7. Dan. 21.9. but the Lord accepted of his ingagement and relyed upon his faithfulneſs in performing his duty, as Chriſt did upon Gods faithfulneſs in fulfilling his promiſe; and whatever the Lord performs unto us, it is for Chriſts ſake; but it is with us mediately in him, he being the mediator of the Covenant, and of all the mercies thereof. (3) The promiſe made unto Chriſt, was made from everlaſting before the foundation of the world;2 Tim. 1.9. Rev. 13.8. it's ſaid, The Lamb had a book of life before the foundation of the world; it cannot be underſtood of election, for he himſelf as mediator was elected; therefore it is ſpoken in reference to this Covenant, that God did make with Chriſt before the world was,Prov. 8.22. he being from the beginning, and this Covenant was to take place immediately after the fall; but the Covenant with his people is made with them, when they believe and are ingrafted into Chriſt, faith being nothing elſe but a conſent unto the Covenant, and the terms of it on our part, and therefore that is an act done by the creature in time, when a man is converted; and therefore notwithſtanding the Covenant made with Chriſt, yet the elect themſelves,Epheſ. 2.12. till they be converted, are ſaid to be ſtrangers to the Covenant of promiſe; as it is in juſtification, though there be a juſtification in capite when Chriſt roſe from the dead, (becauſe he roſe as a publick perſon) yet there is not a perſonal juſtification in a man, till he do believe, and be made one with Chriſt, and hath thereby an intereſt in his righteouſneſs. (4) All the promiſes of the ſecond Covenant belong unto Chriſt as his purchaſe, and unto us of promiſe; to him of debt, and unto us of grace: the making of the Covenant indeed was an act of free grace with Chriſt, but the performance, and all the benefits thereof is an act of purchaſe, Epheſ. 1.14. it is all the inheritance of Chriſt purchaſed by his merits, but to us it comes of grace, and meerly for Chriſts ſake. (5) Chriſt as to his Covenant hath no ſurety, God took his word, and his faithfulneſs he did rely upon, and therefore calls him faithful and true, and ſaid he had laid help on one that is mighty, Pſal. 89. but we have a ſurety of our Covenant to pay the debt and perform the duty: