Baxters Aphorisms, Part 1 · Part 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Whether as the Covenant of Works was made with all mankind in Adam their repreſentative, ſo the Covenant of Grace was made with all the elect in Chriſt their Repreſenter? What relation the Covenants made with Adam, Abraham, the Iſraelites, and laſtly with us under the Goſpel have to that Covenant made with Chriſt.
B. Theſis 14. p. 89. THe Tenor of the New Covenant is this, that Chriſt having made ſufficient ſatisfaction to the Law, whoſoever will repent and beleeve in him to the end, ſhall be juſtified through that ſatisfaction from all that the Law did charge upon them, and be moreover advanced to far greater privileges and glory then they fell from: But whoſoever fullfilleth not theſe conditions, ſhall have no more benefit, by the bloud of Chriſt, than what they here received and abuſed, but muſt anſwer the charge of the Law themſelves; And for their neglect of Chriſt, muſt alſo ſuffer a far greater condemnation. Or bri…fly, whoſoever beleeveth in Chriſt, ſhall not periſh but have everlaſting life; but he that beleeveth not ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, Mar. 16. 16. Jo. 3. 15, 16, 17, 18. 36. & 5. 24. & 6. 35, 40. 47. & 7 38. & 11. 25, 26. & 12. 46. Act. 10. 43. Rom. 3. 26. & 4. 5. & 5. 1 & 10. 4, 10. 1 Jo. 5. 15. Mar. 1. 15. & 6. 12. Luk. 13. 3. 5. & 24. 47. Act. 5. 31. & 11. 18. & 20. 21. & 2. 38. & 3. 19. & 8. 22. & 26. 20. Rev. 2. 5, 16. Heb. 6. 1. 2 Pet. 3. 9.
Mr. Br having (as he thinks) laid proſtrate the whole generation of Chriſt, and antipapiſticall beleevers under the Curſe, under the wrath of God, ſticks as cloſe to them, as the vulture to the carkas, or the beetle to the doung, or the fleſh-fly to the ſore. For here again he concludes that the very Tenor of the New Covenant is that notwithſtanding Chriſts ſufficient ſatisfaction made to the law, they muſt remain unjuſtified, unpardoned, under ſin, under vengeance to the end, and then poſſibly after many hundreds and it may be thouſands of yeers wherein their bodies have laid under rottennes, and their ſouls under all hell-torments which the law can inflict, they ſhall be juſtified. And this (very probably) ſhall be about that time when Origens reprobates and devills ſhall ariſe from hell and fly away thence all at once and together to heaven. For whoſoever is not juſtified and pardoned here in this life, ſhall ſurely not attain it untill that St Nevers day of Origen. But to this it hath been anſwered already. He ſeems now to bring ſome new thing, and that which every beleeving ſoul gaſpeth to hear made out in its fullnes viz. What the Tenor of the New Covenant is. viz. That whoſoeve will repent and beleeve to the end, ſhall be juſtified after the end.
When the Serpent hath got his head into the hole the body alſo, by little and little followes. Erewhile it was, he that beleeveth to the end, now it is, he that repenteth to the end, and beleeveth to the end, that ſhall be after all ends and worlds juſtified. Yet this is but the head and neck of the Serpent. The bulk and belly are behinde, and the ſame full of all the qualifications and good works that Mr. Br can deviſe, or all the herds of Monks and Jeſuits have deviſed to his hands. Theſe all muſt be according to Mr. Baxters Goſpel, as effectuall as faith, or Chriſt himſelf to Juſtification. I ſhould but preoccupate a diſpute here to examine whether repentance be one of the many thouſand conditions of Juſtification which Mr. Br in the ſequele of this Treatiſe holds neceſſary to Juſtification. I ſhall therefore leave the handling thereof to its due place. OnelyOnly by the way, if by repentance Mr. Br here meaneth any thing heterogeneous, or ſpecifically diſtinct from faith, I affirm and ſhall in its place make good, that this his aſſertion is totally Popiſh, againſt the doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles.
As for the Scriptures which he doth here roll out in a Crowd without rank or file to prove it; partly becauſe he neither alleageth the words, nor ſhews how he would argue from them, partly becauſe his ſhuffling them together in Cluſters, tends onelyonly to make the labour of his anſwerer almoſt intolerable, to ſhew particularly how little each Scripture makes for him, and how much many of them againſt him; partly becauſe he doth ſtill reſerve to himſelf, [whatſoever be ſaid in anſwer] an advantage to evade, by telling us that the force of that Scripture doth in another way, and not in that to which we have anſwered, prove for him; but principally becauſe he quotes the ſame Scriptures over and over again in another place more proper, where it ſhall be more pertinent to anſwer them, I ſhall therefore here forbear to ſpeak to them, leſt I ſhould there be forced to omit it, or to ſay over again what had been here ſaid before: Nay himſelf will not have them to be anſwered here, for he ſpeaks ſo ambiguouſly, that he will not have his meaning underſtood, telling us onelyonly that upon theſe Conditions (forſooth) performed, we ſhall be juſtified in another world, but doth not let us know from him whether upon performance of them we may be juſtified in the preſent world. But he paſſeth to the explication.
Explication.
Bax. Chriſts ſatisfaction to the Law, goes before the New Covenant though not in regard of its payment, (which was in the fullnes of time) yet in regard of the undertaking, acceptance and efficacy. There could be no treating on new terms till the old obligation was ſatisfied and ſuſpended.
I account them not worth the confuting, who tell us that Chriſt is the onelyonly party conditioned with, and that the New Covenant as to us, hath no conditions. (ſo Saltmarſh &c.) The place that they alleage for this aſſertion is that Jer. 31. 31, 32, 33. cited in Heb. 8. 8, 9, 10. Which place conteineth not the full tenor of the whole New Covenant, but either it is called the New Covenant, becauſe it expreſſeth the nature of the benefits of the New Covenant, as they are offered on Gods part, without mentioning mans conditions. (that being not pertinent to the buſines the Prophet had in hand) Or els it ſpeaketh onelyonly what the Lord will do with his elect, in giving them the firſt Grace, and enabling them to perform the Conditions of the New Covenant; and in that ſenſe may be called a New Covenant alſo; as I have ſhewed before p. 7, 8. though properly it be a prediction, and belong onelyonly to Gods will of purpoſe and not to his legiſlative will.
But thoſe men erroneouſly think that nothing is a condition, but what is to be performed by our awn ſtrength. But if they will beleeve Scripture, the places before alleaged will prove, that the New Covenant hath Conditions on our part as well as the old.
Some benefit from Chriſt did the condemned here receive as the delay of their condemnation, and many mere mercies, though they turned them all into greater judgements, but of this more when we treat of generall redemption.
I ſhall here propound ſome queſtions to Mr. Baxter, about his own words to be anſwered by ſome of his Chaplains or Diſciples, For I am not ſo ambitious as to expect his ſtooping in perſon to ſo low an office. 1 Whether Chriſts ſatisfaction to the law were undertaken and ſo virtually made, without an agreement between the Father and the Son, that the Son ſhould give, and the Father accept ſuch ſatisfaction? Mr. Br ſo great a Maſter of reaſon, who hath ſacrificed all his religion to reaſon, can judge whether this could rationally (if poſſibly) be done. 2 If by agreement whether this agreement was not by way of Covenant between the Father and the Son? and ſo whether the whole buſines of mans juſtification were not tranſacted and concluded upon, firſt between the Father and the Son? 3 Whether Chriſt undertook to give ſatisfaction or the Father to accept it for any other beſides thoſe that in time have or ſhall have the full benefit thereof? I mean, beſides the elect, whom the Son muſt perfectly know becauſe he was in the boſom of the Father, and was thorowly acquainted with all his boſom ſecrets? 4 Whether any one can miſſe of the benefit of this ſatisfaction, when it is once ſo given and accepted for him by name? 5 Why Mr. Br ſpeaking of the payment of this ſatisfaction, doth plainly mention the time when it was made, namely, the fullnes of time: in the very ſame breath ſpeaking of the undertaking, acceptance, and efficacy thereof, doth not alſo name the time when that was Covenanted and Concluded upon? Did he not ſee that it was needfull to the Compleating of this member of the ſentence, in a full equipage with the former, to name the time of this as well as of that? Was it a beare or an evill Conſcience in the way that put him to ſuch an Apoſiopeſis? that ſhook him into a dumbnes, when truth, honeſty and plain dealing bad him ſpeak out? Whether he had ſaid before all time, or ſhortly upon the beginning of time, he ſaw he ſhould have given a deathly wound, either to his Cauſe, or to his Credit, or to both; therefore like a cunning ſophiſter, ſtops his breath, and ſpeaks nothing. 6 And if the Covenant of grace, in all and every of its Articles were thus agreed upon between the Father aad the Son, either before the actuall exiſtence of any man in the world, or as Mr. Br here Confeſſeth, before Adam and Eve the ſole perſons then exiſtent upon earth were treated with about it, how then doth he add, that he accounts him not worth the Confuting, which tell us, that Chriſt was the onelyonly party conditioned with, and that the New Covenant, as to us, hath no Conditions (ſo Saltmarſh &c.) thus Caſting an Odium upon this opinion, as if Mr. Saltmarſh and his Diſciples alone held it, and that never any before him thought of it?
For my own part, where the Scriptures are ſilent, I am in great dread to be loquent; and where the word ſpeaketh ſparingly and darkly, I dare not to conclude too peremptorily. Neither in points that are controvertible in religiō, but which way ſoever d…cided, do not Confer much to, or detract from the Baſis and foundation of our ſalvation, would I proſecute either vehement or endles diſputes. Every leaſt truth in Divinity is precious indeed, therefore not to be betrayed, but to be preſerved more carefully than our life & bloud. Yet our life and bloud ought not to be ſo deer to us as the Peace of the Churches of Chriſt. And the diſturbing of the Churches peace may ſometimes more obſcure the honour of the Goſpel, than the ſuſpending of the defence of ſome not very important truths, for a while, could have done. I ſhould not therefore quarrell againſt them that aſcribe to the New Covenant its Condition, and make faith alone as it inſtrumentally receiveth Chriſt, the onelyonly Condition of our being juſtified to and in our ſelves. I ſee not ſo great ecclipſe upon the glory of Gods Grace or Chriſts merits cauſed by ſuch an aſſertion, that we ſhould diſturb the peace of the Churches about it, were it not that the Papiſts and Arminians by this unſcripturall phraſe do ſeek totally to corrupt the doctrine of juſtification.
Nevertheles Mr. Baxters contumelious words ſhall not affright me from delivering my judgement what I think moſt probable, and moſt agreeing with holy Scripture touching the point in hand. Yet laying it down not as abſolute and certain, but as that which is yet moſt probable to me untill I ſhall by further enquiry into the Scriptures, or by the help of others, that have more enquired, ſee Cauſe to judge otherwiſe. As for Mr. Baxter, though in humane literature, and in things ſubject to the tryall of reaſon, I hold his judgement not Contemptible, but equall with the moſt, yea the beſt; yet in Goſpel and ſpirituall things, I finde him ſo ſtupified, perverted, and wholly ſpoyled with Philoſophy, ſeeing ſo little of the myſtery of Chriſt, yea ſo prejudiced againſt the ſacred things which he knowes not, that I account him one of thoſe whom the Apoſtle deſcribeth 1 Tim. 1. 17. Deſiring to be teachers of the Law, underſtanding neither what they ſay, nor whereof they affirm. And therefore am ſo little affrighted from any doctrine of this kinde by his abaſing thereof, that I am the more induced to ſearch into it if it be not a pearl indeed, becauſe he hath trampled it. I ſhall then expreſs what I think in theſe following poſitions.
Firſt as God hath made two great and generall Covenants with mankind, each of them comprizing other & leſſer Covenants under it: So becauſe there were not exiſtent perſonally (at the time of making theſe covenants) the ſingular individuals of mankind to whom theſe Covenants belonged, therefore did he appoint 2 publike perſons, each of wch then exiſting when either Covenant was made, to be (as it were) repreſētatives of all the ſingular perſons, that then did or after ſhould exiſt to be under either Covenant, with whom when the Covenants were concluded, they ſhould be in perfect force for or againſt all that were repreſented in their ſeverall ages, as though they had been but then made particularly with them in their own perſons. The one of theſe Covenants is uſually termed the Covenant of works, the other the Covenant of grace. The publike or common perſon Covenanted with in the one was the firſt Adam, in the other the ſecond Adam Chriſt Jeſus. The caſe is cleer in reſpect of the firſt Adam, and the Covenant of works. Mr. Br himſelf grants every inch of it. That whatſoever law or poſitive Commands were given to Adam, whatſoever promiſes in caſes of performance, or threats in caſe of breach, were added, all pertained as full to all the future progeny of Adam, as repreſented in him, and encloſed in his loins, as to Adam himſelf. And accordingly while Adam ſtood we ſtood in him, when he fell we fell in him and with him, as deep under the wrath of God as himſelf. I forbear to prove any of this, becauſe it is granted on all ſides. But the queſtion is wholly about Chriſt the ſecond Adam, whether the Covenant of grace was ſo made with him, as the Covenant of works with Adam? and what that Covenant of grace was? I conceive that both there was ſuch a Covenant between the Father and the Son in reference to us, and that this was the tenor thereof: viz. that the Son in time appointed ſhould aſſume to himſelf our nature, and in it repreſent the perſons of the elect that were equally ſinners and condemned with others in Adam; that he ſhould offer himſelf in our fleſh a ſacrifice for ſinn; that upon his undertaking thereof the ſinns of all the elect ſhould be pardoned, and they of ſinners ſhould be made righteous, and delivered up into his hands, no more to be accounted to Adam, but to Chriſt, and to be preſerved in the boſom of his grace & love to eternall glory. And (as Mr. Br acknowledgeth) upon Chriſts undertaking &c. The ſatisfaction was ſo virtually and effectually made by Chriſt and accepted by the Father as when it was actually accompliſhed. Firſt it ſeems there was ſuch a Covenant; For the Apoſtle tells us, Rom. 5. 14. that Adam was a figure of him that was to come, which is Chriſt. And how a figure? Doubtles not onelyonly in this that as by him the one and firſt man, ſin and death by ſin immediately came upon all men: ſo by Chriſt, righteouſnes, and by it life came upon all the elect: But alſo in the manner of the agreement of the Type and Antitype together. That as Adam repreſenting all mankinde, by his unfaithfullnes in breaking the Covenant brought ſin and death upon all that he repreſented: ſo Chriſt repreſenting all the elect, by his faithfullnes in performing the Covenant &c. brought righteouſnes and juſtification of life upon all the elect repreſented in him. Yea the Holy Ghoſt in expreſſe words teſtifieth to ſuch a Covenant. In the volume of thy book it is written of me that I ſhould do thy will O God, ſaith he when he comes into the world, i. e. it is teſtified in the word what Covenant hath paſſed betwixt thee and me &c. Heb. 10. 5-10. yea and teſtifieth to the tenor of the Covenant, his coming with a body to be offered in ſacrifice: this will of God he came to do. And moreover he giveth witnes alſo to the faithfullnes of Chriſt in offering it, Lo I come; and to the efficacy of it upon all immediately for whom it was offered; By the which will we are ſanctified, i. e. no more taken for ſinners, but Conſecrated as holy to the Lord through the offering of the body of Jeſus Chriſt once for all, ibid. The ſame is implyed in that phraſe which here termeth the offering of Chriſts body the doing of the Fathers will. And elſwhere obedience unto death even the death of the Croſs, Phil. 2. 8. Obedience and will preſuppoſe Command and Covenant. And the foreign, the one righteouſnes or one act of righteouſnes of Chriſt, oppoſed to the foreign, that one offence of Adam, (for ſo the phraſe ſeems to me to hold out more grammatically, than the offence of one and the righteouſnes of one:) doth not obſcurely argue that one righteouſnes of Chriſt in fullfilling, oppoſite to that one offence of Adam in once breaking the Covenant, Rom. 5. 18. And that all this was covenanted to be done and accepted for and in the behalf of the elect, and to them and none but them to be effectuallized, is alſo evident from the Scriptures. For he did the will of his Father in offering himſelf as was before ſhewed; i. e. did according as it was agreed and covenanted between him and the Father, dyed for them onelyonly for whom he made prayers and interceſſions. But when his time was come to ſuffer he prayed & interced…d not for the world, but for them onelyonly whom the Father had given him out of the world, Joh. 17. 6, 9. Therefore for them onelyonly he undertook to ſatisfie. Therefore is it that he is ſaid to lay down his life [onelyonly] for his ſheep, not for the goats, Joh. 10. 11. 15. For them whoſe names were written in the book of life of the Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world, Rev. 13. 8. The reſt things conteined in this poſition are granted by Mr. Br himſelfe, therefore need no proof here. I have couched together many things in this, to avoyd multiplicity of poſitions.
2 That by force of this ſatisfaction ſo given and accepted for the ſinns of the Elect, according to the Tenor of this Covenant between the Father and the Son, all the Elect of God were Juſtified in Chriſt from the very time of Chriſts undertaking to be their Juſtifier. Therefore in the laſt alleaged Scripture their names are ſaid to be written in the book of life of the Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world. Here though the book of life which is elſwhere mentioned to be Gods book will be taken by Mr. Br to be the book of Election, yet this book of life of the lamb is to be underſtood for the book of Juſtification, implying indeed the election of all that are written therein, but primarily and in its direct ſenſe comprehending the names of them that are juſtified by the bloud of the ſacrificed Lamb of God. And theſe are ſaid to be written in Chriſts book, that is regiſtred in Chriſt, and upon Chriſts account from the foundation of the world, immediately upon Chriſts undertaking to ſatisfie for them. Of him ye are in Chriſt, ſaith the Apoſtle, who of God is made unto us Wiſdome, Righteouſnes, Sanctification and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30. When was he ſo made unto us? Mr. Br anſwereth, not onelyonly upon the payment but upon his undertaking to pay our debt. Therefore is he ſaid to be Jeſus Chriſt yeſterday, and to day, and for ever, Heb. 13. 8. And that not onelyonly in reference to them that lived in all ages of the world, but in reſpect of us alſo, that in all ages of the world he hath been, and will be what now he is our Jeſus our Chriſt. But this poſition hath been before proved in the former Chapter, in anſwer to Mr. Baxters 13 Theſis and its explication, where I ſpake to his ſixth Argument.
3 The Miniſteriall way of offering and convaying the benefits of Chriſts ſatisfaction into the ſouls and apprehenſions of men, now uſed under the Goſpel, according to the command of Chriſt, is or at leaſt ſounds like an inferior Covenant, ſubordinate and ſub-ſervient to this between the Father and the Son, whereof we have ſpoken. Chriſt having now made full ſatisfaction to the Father, invites all, and brings in his elect, to taſte and enjoy by faith all the perfections which he hath merited and received into his hands for them. It is confeſſed by Mr. B. Theſ. 8. That God is ſo fully pleaſed with the Sons undertaking of this buſines of Mediation, that he hath delivered all things into his hands, and given him all power in heaven and in earth, and made him Lord both of the dead and living. And the Lord Jeſus himſelf affirmeth, that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son, i. e. the diſpenſation and ordering of all things in heaven and in earth. And it is the opinion of great Divines, that the Lord Chriſt in the old world before the Law, and in all ages under the Law, being that perſon of the Trinity, which had undertaken to aſſume our nature unto him, and in it to dye for the reconciling of us to God, and entring from the beginning upon his power, to ſet in order all things to this glorious end; was he that converſed with the Patriarks and Prophets, ſometimes in an aſſumed body like a man, ſometimes inviſibly, making known the myſtery of Redemption by himſelf to them, and preſcribing under what adminiſtrations he would have his Church governed untill his coming. That it was he who firſt preached to Adam ſalvation by the ſeed of the Woman, and afterward more cleerly to Abraham. That it was he alſo which delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai, and added there a ſecond Covenant, in ſhew and ſound a meer Covenant of works, (Do and be Bleſſed, Sin and be Curſed) which Covenant alone is expreſly called the Old Covenant, and is indeed now repealed, and aboliſhed from being any more a Covenant, ſaving to them that put themſelves under it. This was but a temporary Covenant, an Appendix to the Covenant before made with Abraham; and both this and that with Abraham were but ſubordinate Covenants to that before mentioned between God and Chriſt. Here now all that were juſtified before Chriſts coming in the fleſh, were juſtified in Chriſt by force of the firſt Covenant made between the Father and the Son. The promiſe to Adam, and the Covenants made with Abraham, and with the Iſraelites, together with all the Sacraments and ſignes annexed to all theſe, tended onelyonly to bring them that were juſtified before in Chriſt to a reall and ſenſible participation of it and the comforts thereof, by Faith within their own conſciences: So is it now under the Goſpel adminiſtration, That firſt Covenant is that by which our juſtification is compleatly finiſhed in Chriſt; the preaching of Faith in a Covenant way, tends onelyonly to this, that as many as were before juſtified in Chriſt, may by Faith have their Juſtification declared and evidenced to their conſciences, to fill them with joy unſpeakable and full of glory, and with that peace which paſſeth all underſtanding. Not but that Chriſt could without any ſuch Sub-Covenanting have filled up his elect with all the marrow and myſtery of Juſtification, by immediate Revelation from himſelf, as he dealt with Paul the Apoſtle: but that this way made moſt for his and his Fathers glory, both in them that are ſaved and in them that periſh.
4 Faith it ſelf, (much leſs any other qualification, gift or act) is not a condition of Juſtification in foro Dei, there Chriſt hath pleaded our diſcharge by his blood, & ſtill maketh interceſſion for us, but a means or inſtrument by which we receive Chriſt Jeſus, and the righteouſnes or juſtification that is in him to our ſelves for conſolation and ſalvation, in foro conſcientiae, ſo ſtood the caſe in reſpect of the fore-mentioned under Covenant that of the Law. When the Lord Chriſt had publiſhed his Law upon Mount Sinai, and given to Iſrael by Moſes all his Judgments and Statutes, there now paſſeth a ſolemn Covenant betwixt Chriſt and them, the people alſo every one in perſon aſſenting gladly; to fulfill all that they might be bleſſed, or if in the leaſt point they ſhould fail, to yeeld themſelves curſed. This Covenant was made more viſibly and in every part more ſtrictly after the nature and rule of Covenants, then this under the Goſpel. Yet will any ſay that this perfect obedience ſo Covenanted, was a condition of their juſtification and ſalvation, without which none could be juſtified or ſaved: Then were all damned, for no one either did or could perfectly obey. Nay it was added becauſe of tranſgreſſions, ſaith the Apoſtle, Gal. 3. 19. i. e. as a means ſo to operate about ſin in the diſcovery of it, and the damnation that is by it, ſo alſo to convince men that they might be driven from all ſuppoſition of their own righteouſnes, and ſeek righteouſnes by Chriſt alone, in whom alone the elect were juſtified before this Covenant was made. In the ſame manner the holding forth of juſtification now under the Goſpel, in the form and likenes of a Covenant; Beleeve and be ſaved, beleeve not and periſh for ever: proveth not Faith to be the condition of the New Covenant, (as hath been ſaid) even the whole preaching of ſalvation by Chriſt, and injoyning of Faith upon all to receive it, is an effect of that Firſt great Covenant of Grace between the Father and the Son, and a part of Chriſts Propheticall Office which he undertook in that Covenant to accompliſh, in undertaking the Mediatorſhip between God and Men. An effect of that firſt Covenant I ſay. For ſo it was agreed that All which the Father had given to Chriſt, by him to be juſtified and ſaved, ſhould come to him, i. e. beleeve in him, Jo: 6. 37. To this purpoſe it was Covenanted on the Sons part, to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt, Luke 19. 10. to call unto him all to participate by Faith of the life, light, righteouſneſs and ſalvation that he had received for them, Iſa. 55. 1. Io: 7. 37. Ma. 11. 28. This was a part of his Propheticall Office, to diſcover the treaſures of Grace in his heart, and to envite all to the participation thereof. And then on the Fathers part it was Covenanted that he would draw to Chriſt all the Elect, all that he had given to Chriſt, that while the Goſpel ſounded in their ears, he would divinely by his Spirit teach and move their hearts, that they ſhall not but come to Chriſt, Jo: 6. 43, 44. And laſtly it is agreed on the Sons part again, that of all that the Father thus bringeth to him, he muſt caſt out none, loſe none, but raiſe them all at the laſt day [to glorification] and the reaſon of all is annexed, It is the Fathers will, i. e. that which was Covenanted between the Father and him in Heaven, and he came down from Heaven, not to do his own will, i. e. any thing of his private will, without the conſent of his Father, but the will of him that ſent him, i. e. what was Covenanted between the Father and him, and concurrent with the will of both, Jo: 6. 37, 38, 39. Thus all that which Mr B. calleth the Covenant of Grace, is but an effect or an Article and branch of the Covenant made of old between God and Chriſt. And Faith not ſo properly termed a condition of juſtification, as an inſtrument to apprehend the preſent comfort of it, being before ours in Chriſt.
5 That this Covenant of Grace is abſolute, ſhall be the work of the next Chapter to evince.