Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Part 2 · Section 3
Heb. 9.15.
Mediator of the New Teſtament.
Sect. 3. PROP. III. The Covenant of Grace is ſometimes called, and partakes of the Nature of a Teſtament.
THis Covenant (in both adminiſtrations of it, ſcil. under the Moſaical, and under the Goſpel adminiſtration) is called a Testament. So Heb. 9.15, 16. As it was diſpenſed before Chriſt's coming, is called the firſt Teſtament †Ʋnleſs with Mr. A. we muſt take the firſt Teſtament to mean or intend that Political Covenant made with the Jews, meerly as it was political. Vid. Diſcourſe of the 2 Covenants, Cha. 4. p. 73, &c.: (not the firſt Covenant: for the Covenant of works made with Adam, was doubtleſs before it.) As it …s diſpenſed ſince, it is called the New Teſtament.
Now this ſeems to be one conſiderable difference betwixt the Covenant of Grace, and that of Works. The Covenant of Grace is called a Teſtament, as …he Covenant of works was not. The Covenant of Grace is the Lord Chriſt's laſt Will and Teſtament, …oncerning his Children and Heirs; what God …equireth in this Covenant, is in Chriſt's hand to …ork in thoſe, who are given him of the Father; …nd what God hath promiſed here, is alſo in Chriſt's hand to give. Chriſt is the Author and finiſher o… faith, wherever it is, and the Donor of the Crown of life, promiſed to the faithful, Joh. 10.28. Rev. 2.18. *Nam ſit quod vis, Christum, quatenus ſervus, damnatus, &c. jus teſtamenti faciendi non habuiſſe; annon erit Chriſtus teſtator quatenus foreign, annon teſtamentum moriendo condidiſſe dicetur, cum infinito illius mortis precio & efficacia, deſtructa morte, ſalutem, & vitam nobis pepererit, nobiſ que omnibus tranſmiſerit foreign, Guiſard. apud Lud. Tena in Hebr. p. 823. a.The Covenant of Grace. I ſay, hath the Nature of a Teſtament where Chriſt is the Teſtator; Believers the Heirs or Legataries; the Goods Legacies, or Portions bequeathed; the enjoyment of God the chieft good, perfect happineſs (our higheſt end) togethe… with all things conducing thereunto. A teſtamen… is confirmed by the death of the Teſtator; ſo this b… the death of Chriſt. It is the Teſtament in his bloo… It was confirmed of old by the blood of Chriſt … types and ſacrifices, Heb. 9.18, 20. and ſince b… the blood of Chriſt actually ſhed. The blood of Chri… his death hath ſealed and ratified this Teſtament.
That it is both a Covenant, and a Teſtament ſeveral reſpects, †Cum varia & diverſa ſit, hujus diſpenſationis ratio, annon variis & diverſis nominibus inſignienda? Guiſard. apud Lud. Tena. p. 816. a. A forma conventionis inter Deum, & homines factae, Foedus, a modo ſanctionis, Teſtamentum, ib.ſeems plain enoug… Tota diſpoſitio te… mentariam habet r… tionem, &c. *Ameſ Coron. Art. 5. c. 2. p. (mihi) 296.T… whole diſpoſition (… frame of it) hath … Nature of a Te… ment, as ſimply conſider'd (ſayes Ameſ. whether … be taken in the whole, or according to its parts; … if the benefits bequeathed be compared one w… another, then one is a condition to another; and in this reſpect it is propounded ad modum foederis, after the manner of a Covenant. Or take it thus, In reſpect of God, as he propoundeth it, and men are bound to accept it, as propounded by him; thus it hath the Nature of a Covenant. Though, in reſpect of Chriſt, as that which God promiſeth, and Man engageth to here, was all purchaſed by Chriſt for the Elect, and by him bequeathed unto all thoſe that come to partake of the ſaving benefits and bleſſings of the Covenant, ſo it is a Teſtament.
Now here I might propound this Queſtion, to be conſider'd, whether the promiſe of the firſt ſubjective diſcriminating Grace, or of working of the condition, Jer. 31.33. Heb. 8.10. belong to the Covenant of Grace, as a Covenant, or as a Teſtament. It ſeems not to be formally included in the conditional Covenant of grace, nor properly to belong to it as ſuch, but rather as a Teſtament; but of that afterwards.
I confeſs one of great note, ſtraineth this term too far. Making a Teſtament and a Covenant oppoſites in this reſpect, that a Covenant hath conditions, but a Teſtament is an Inſtrument of meer bounty, citra ullam conditionem, without any condition; yet *Nihilominus teſtamento non repugnant conditiones pacti, quia poteſt teſtator imponere conditiones, quibus deficientibus, haeres non poſſit adire haereditatem. Tena in Heb. 8. diff. 4. Sect. 1. p. 310. b.(pace tanti viri) may one not bequeath a Legacy in his Will & Teſtament, not to be enjoyed, but upon a certain condition. (As for Example, I give A. B. ſo much, provided he Marry C. otherwiſe not.) Again, Heb. 9.15. we read, Chriſt is the Mediator of the New Teſtament; that by means of Death—they which [are called] might receive the promiſe of eternal inheritance. This Text which ſpeaks expreſſely of the New Teſtament, doth not exclude, but include a condition. Who are they that receive the Eternal inheritance, bequeathed in Chriſt's Will and Teſtament? They that are called, ſayes the Text; where doubtleſs we are to underſtand effectually called, ſo called, as that they come into Chriſt upon the Goſpel-call.
And upon this account I ſhould not reſtrain the conſideration of it, as a Teſtament to the Elect only, (as Dr. Ames before cited, ſeems to do.) But ſuppoſing it a Will with a Condition, it is of the ſame extent with the Covenant; being both one and the ſame. And ſo Expoſitors need not perplex themſelves (as ſome of them ſeem to do) to reconcile Moſes (Exo. 24.8.) with the Apoſtle (Heb. 9.20.) For thus they are fairly agreed, Moſes enim loquitur de pacto, ſed non quovis, niſi dandae haereditatis—Paulus vero de teſtamento, non quovis, ſed conditionato, quod eo ipſo eſt pactum: Ergo ſine ulla improprietate à pacto ad teſtamentum tranſivit Paulus in hac materia, quia ſimul utriuſ que rationem habebat. Tena in Hebr. c. 9. Diffic. 12. Sect. 3. p. 412. b.) Moſes ſpeaketh of a Covenant, not of any kind, but of giving an inheritance—Paul ſpeaketh of a Teſtament, not of any kind, but conditionate, which in that reſpect is a Covenant; therefore without any impropriety, Paul in this matter paſſeth from the word Covenant, to the word Teſtament; becauſe it had the reaſon (or form) of both.
But that the Covenant of Grace is properly a Covenant, and hath Conditions (though no ſuch conditions as make it ever the leſs of Grace.) I queſtion not to clear and prove hereafter, the Lord permitting.
At preſent take notice only, that when the Covenant of Grace is called a Teſtament, the reaſon is not, becauſe it is abſolute, unconditional; for ſo it is not; but becauſe it is firm, unalterable. Confirmed now by the Teſtator's death. Though it be but a Man's Teſtament; yet if it be confirmed, no man diſannulleth, or addeth thereto, Gal. 3.15. Now the New Teſtament is confirmed, by the Death of Chriſt the Teſtator, that there is no adding to it, no diſannulling any part of it, Neither as to matter, nor form; that this ſhall be changed any more to the end of the world; no third diſpenſation to be looked for, whatever ſome fancy.
Here then we may all ſee what our portion is like to be. The firſt Adam threw himſelf out of a very fair eſtate indeed, undid himſelf and his poſterity; our firſt Father breaking, he left only a ſtock of corruption to his Off-ſpring, that as we deſcend from Adam, we are Children of wrath, and have the curſe, due to ſinners, entailed on us. That we are ill provided for, if not adopted into Chriſt's family, if not of the Houſhold of Faith. There are none rich towards God, but they that are heirs of him, who is the heir of all things; what has Chriſt done for thee? Has he remembred thee in his laſt Will and Teſtament? Art thou one of thoſe, to whom he bequeathed himſelf, his body, and blood, and all his ſaving benefits? ſay not here, how ſhould I know that? ſay not, who ſhall aſcend into Heaven to inform me? the word is nigh thee. Haſt tho… not a Coppy of of Chriſt's Will and Testament in th… hand? this bleſſed Book may reſolve thee. A… thou one of thoſe that hear his voice? follow him Art thou led by the ſpirit of Chriſt? art thou one … thoſe, that are given him of the Father? how ſha… that be known? thus; if thou haſt given up thy ſe… to him. Art thou conformed to Chriſt? crucifie… with Chriſt and the like?