is so that God who is one party in the Covenant he unchangeable and cannot falsify his word which he hath past yet we who are on the other party are mutable and consequent ly might violate the condition and so come under a forfeiture and lose the Promises and therefore such as look no farther than the Covenant of Grace and consider the conditions of â—â— and the threatnings annexed to it such â—â— Rom. 8. 13. Hebr. 10. 38. the like have been ready to deny the Doctrine of Perseverance and set up the uncomfortable Doctrine of total and final Apostasy whereas this Covenant affords us a compleat Salvo for all this because in it there is a security provided for the people of God and a promise made to the Son that none of those whom his father hath given him shall be lost or be suffered to draw back to perdition The mercies of the Covenant of Grace are sure mercies because they are the mercies of David Isa 55. 3. i. e. They are such as were promised to him viz. to Christ of whom David was a Type The promises indeed are invariable but if it be enquired how they came to be so it is to be observed that they are said to be in him 2 Cor. 1. 20. It is he who gives them their confirmation on this account it is that when God speaks of his continuing his mercy to his people notwithstanding all their falls and false dealings in his Covenant he Comemorates another Covenant as the ground of his so doing Psal 89. 33 c. Not the Covenant which was made with Davids Children which intends the Covenant of Grace but that which was plighted with David himself i. e. with Christ and that is the Covenant of Redemption Emblematical of this are these observable Scriptures 1 Kings 15. 3 4 5. 2 King 8. 16. 34. and a clear distinction is therefore made between these two Covenants in that memorable place Ezek. 16. 60. There is the Covenant made with them in the days of their youth i. e. in the Wilderness which was a Covenant of Grace under Ceremonies Signs and Types this God saith he will Remember i. e. graciously he will perform the good for them which was held forth in it notwithstanding all they had done to provoke him to the contrary But how will he do this he will establish unto them an Everlasting Covenant i. e. the Covenant of Redemption and therefore observe he doth not say he will establish it with them but unto them i. e. he would make them receive the application of all the good which was provided for them in it yea indeed this is it which sets God on work to bring about the mercy intended for his Chosen when they are doing all they can to withstand it and lay the greatest blocks in the way to it because he hath engaged to do this in the Eternal Transacâ—â—on that past between him and his Sâ—â— about it CHAP. 12. The Aâ—â—â—â—â—tion of this Truth by way of Information THE Doctrine of the Covenant of Redemption is not meerly speculative but exceeding practical and it will not be amiss to subjoin some brief improvement of it and here USE I. May be by way of Information there are several inferences which may be drawn from and confirmed by it let a few be here taken notice of INFERENCE I. We may here see the ground of the certainty and infallibility of the Coversion and Salvation of all Gods Elect. The right conception and consideration of this Covenant will take away all doubts about it and afford many undeniable evidences of it and in particular 1. We may strongly argue from the inexpressible love of God which herein discovers it self abundantly The same love which gave Christ for us in the fulness of time provided him for us in the days of Eternity and that is set forth as incomparable Joh. 5. 16. God so loved c there is no reddition Nay here is the Emphasis of it he not only gave him for us when we needed him but he provided him for us before we needed him that he made sure of this salvation for us before all ages and generations This Covenant was the Lords own Doing every way and may well be marvellous in our eyes He first thought of it when there was none to put him in mind of it in his Infinite Wisdom and he Indented it and sure he would never have done all this if his heart had not been set upon the Salvation of his Chosen It was he who propounded and ratified this Covenant with his own Son Psal 89. 3. and would he have made it and so ratified it with such firm and inviolable â—ngagements if he had not been fully resolved upon the unfailing accomplishment of it 2 This will be farther pleaded because the Individual names of those who were thus to be redeemed by Christ were put into the Articles of this Covenant There was not only an agreement made that there should be a Common price paid a Common stock laid in which might be sufficient for as many as would make improvement of it It might then have been uncertain whether any at all should have been saved by it but the very persons were covenanted for and this is evidently intended by the writing of their names in the Book of life of which mention is made in the Scripture Rev. 13 8. 17. 8. Which is nothing else but the book of the Covenant of Redemption in which provision was made for the restoring of dead sinners to life again by Jesus Christ it is therefore called the Lambs book because these were given to him to redeem And Names must needs indigitate persons so that the individuals were indented for and this is a book which hath no blots in it those that are here written must needs be saved what saith Christ himself about it Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me 3. All these are firmly promised and engaged to Christ in this Covenant they shall be his Seed upon the performance of the Articles that were proposed unto him This was one Encouragement that his Father offered to him see Isa 13. 10 Psal 22. 30. and how do they come to be the Seed of Christ and consequently the Children of God but by being brought into the Covenant of Grace and under the Promise of Eternal Life Gal. 3. 26. Now this was the Word and Promise of God himself The Unchangeable God the God that cannot Lie and it is made to his own Son and upon it he undertook the work and went through it in expectation of the compleat Accomplishment of it Heb. 12. 2. for the Joy that was set before him c. and what can we possibly conceive to be more firm 4. The Sufficiency of the Redeemer must needs make this Salvation sure to those for whom it was provided In this Covenant God took care to provide one who was every way able to do the
Covenant viz of Redemption supposeth a Subject unto whom this Redemption is to be applied and consequently for whom it was undertaken But it is requisite that we Fix the due limits here or else we shall be at a great loss in an Essential Point relating unto this Covenant for only the Redeemed and all of them are to receive the benefits of it here then let these things be considered 1. It supposeth subject that stands in need of Redemption To have undertaken it for any other had been Supervacaneous And there could be no other such monument but such a creature as is forfeited and fallen into misery and cannot get out â—â— it again till it be bought out and rescued from it Rom. 5. 6. 2. There are two sorts of creatures that are reduced to this exigency viz fallen Angels and men As to the Angels which kept their first station though they needed Confirmation yet not Redemption and that this Confirmation of theirs doth derive from this Covenant to them is no-where in Scripture so much as insinuated But those once Angels now Devils are become miserable by their woful revolt from God being fallen under a Righteous Condemnation and therefore they so far need Redemption as that without it they must needs be Eternally miserable and all mankind are by the Apostasy come under this infelicity they are a company of dead Creatures by vertue of that sin the Guilt whereof lieth heavy upon them Rom. 5. 12. 3. The Fallen Angels or Devils stand no way related unto this Covenant but only men God never thought of or contrived a way for the Jayl-Delivery of Devils but hath left them hopelesly under the Sentence which fell upon them when they rebelled against him and therefore their misery is beyond all hopes of remedy they are said to be Reserved in Everlasting Chains Jude 6. But God had more Gracious thoughts for man and in this respect we find that the Son of God in pursuit of this Covenant medled not with the Assumption of the Angelical nature but took that only of Humanity Heb. 2. 16. And the reason of this was because he had not covenanted to redeem Angâ—lâ— but only men 4. That all mankind universally were not included in this Covenant so as that the Son of God undertook to pay the Redemption price for them How far there was some benefit to redound from it to mankind I here dispute not But that Christ became Surety to pay the Price for all is not to be believed As to the notion or distinction of his redeeming all Sufficiently and only some Effectually it cannot be reconciled to sense how then shall it be believed It is one thing to pay a Price of sufficient value to redeem all and another thing to pay it for their Redemption and to suppose that he did it for this end and yet they should perish at the last is not only besides but against Scripture Joh. 6. 39. This is the Fathers Will that hath sent me that of all that he hath given me I should Lose nothing yea if we consider the nature of the Covenant it will evidence it to be inconsistent The end of it hath been shewn to be for the Glory of Gods Grace in the Salvation of his Redeemed this Covenant was a Medium to that end and therefore all that were so Covenanted for must certainly attain it or else the Covenant so far loseth its design This therefore is that which Christ Intercedes for in behalf of those whom he hath Redeemed Joh. 17. 24. these are they whom his Father gave him that he might Redeem them 5 That Those whom he Covenanted for were a Definite Company of particular persons Not only was the number of them agreed upon in this Transaction but the individuals also were Determined Here observe 1. The Covenant did not run Illimitedly That he should pay a price for all and that offers should be made to all and that as many as would accept of them might be made to partake in the benefits of it was not the form in which this Covenant ran There is indeed such an offer made in the Promulgation of the Covenant of Grace by the Gospel to all unto whom it comes on such a condition but neither is this to all men nor yet doth the Covenant of Redemption run so and there is this reason for it among others because it is one Article in this Covenant that whom Jesus Christ doth Redeem he shall save and in order to it bring them to himselfe John 6. 37. and but for this none would come to him vorse 44. and then where would be the seed that should serve him and be counted to him for a generation 2. Nor did this Covenant run upon the Previous qualities of mâ—n before Conversion It did not say that such sorts of persons should be redeemed and others not but it took in as God saw meet all sorts of persons Jews and Greeks Barbarians and Scythians of every age sex and disposition some that proved civil before they were savingly changed others who before they were brought home to Christ were the vilest and most debauched of mankind This appears to have been so by the event for which we have plentiful Scripture Testimony and therefore it assures us that it was not upon these terms that it stood 3. But it took in so many Individual persons chosen according to the Sovereign pleasure of God Hither the Apostle limits it Eph. 1. 11. The Lambs Book of Life in which names are written mentioned Rev. 21. 27. refers properly to this Covenant and they are persons who are written here they have their names in it The Son of God knew from eternity whom he was to Redeem and God knew them This is the Foundation of which the Apostle speaks which hath such a Seal upon it 2. Tim. 2. 19. who are his this Indigitates the very persons Our Hygh Priest therefore had their names written upon his brestplate when he was to offer the Sacrifice for them and make expiation in their behalf in the Holy Place CHAP. 9. What are the Articles of the Covenant IT Belongs to the nature of a Covenant that there are terms agreed upon and concluded between the parties in it or something in which each obligeth himself to the performance of and by the distinct knowledge of these it is that we come to have an insight into the particular nature of any Covenant It is therefore needful that we take the account of the Articles of the Covenant of Redemption that so we may discover the main and essential difference between that and the Covenant of Grace to prevent our confounding of them one with the other Here let it be observed that this is one of those Covenants which is made between equals therein is divers from the other which is made between a Superiour and inferiour They are equal whether we consider them in their nature Phil. 2. 6. or if we consider the things
work which he was to Engage in and therefore it was utterly impossible that it should fail in his hands For this reason he is said to be a strong Redeemer Jer. 50. 34. and Mighty to save Isa 63. 1. see also for this Deut. 33. 23 Psal 83. 19. He is able to bear down all Opposition that can be made against him and there is no adverse power that can so interpose as to obstruct this Salvation but it is carried on with a strong hand needs then must it be without fail brought about 5 By this Covenant that which lay in the way as the great Obstacle or hindrance of mans Salvation is altogether removed so as it shall no longer impede it viz. the justice of the first Covenant Fallen man is by a Righteous Law condemned and Justice demands the life of the sinner for its satisfaction but in the Covenant of Redemption Justice it self is not only pacified but stands as deeply engaged for the Salvation of Gods Redeemed as any other of the Divine Attributes it is in Combination with mercy in this business Psal 85. 10. and by vertue of this transaction not only Grace and Mercy but Justice also appears gloriously and triumphantly in the sinners deliverance 1 Joh. 1. 9. and what is there then that should impede this business Righteousnes here breaks forth with Lustre and God no way wrongs either his Truth or his Holiness in saving the chief of sinners by Jesus Christ For the Son of God becoming a surety for miserable man who was by the fall undone and became insolvent to the Law he dischargeth him of all his Obligations to that Covenant having given compleat satisfaction to it in all its demands the sinner is by the highest Act of Justice discharged of that debt and now God declares his Righteousness in Justifying of him Rom. 3. 26. and therefore when the Apostle makes a Challenge he strengthens it by forming such an argument as this Rom. 8 34. Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that Dyed 6. Hence if any of Gods Elect should fail of being brought into the Covenant of Grace and so being saved this Covenant would so far be defeated and made void For if the Covenant were so made as that the Names of those who were to be Redeemed were all put into it then either all these must be brought into the possession of the good Provided for them or else there must be some of those lost whom the Father had given to Christ against which he himself declares and it would certainly tend greatly to his Dishonour Those then who have attained to be able to read their names written in the book of Lise and have so made their Flection sure may hereby be assured of their secure standing in this Covenant and comfort themselves in the confident expectation of the unfailing assistance of the Grace of God to Preserve them unto Life Eternal according to Phil. 1. 6. INFERENCE II. Here we see where and whence those Absolute promises Recorded in the Scripture have their Originall There is a great dispute in the world about Absolute Promises The Arminians do wholly deny any such to be at all The Antinomians do err as much on the other hand in asserting them to be made to sinners as sinners A right understanding of this Covenant and the true relaâ—ion which these promises have to it will give us light for the clearing of all these doubts Here then take these following Assertions 1. That there are no promises of Gods special favour Recorded in His Word but what do belong unto some Covenant or other All Gods dealings with mankind which refer to their Everlasting Estate are in the way of a Covenant As soon as God had Created man he plighted a Covenant with him in which Life and Death were set before him and when the Covenant was violated by mans sin and he had forfeited the Life that was promised and purchased the Death threatned in that God having a design of saving a number of this unhappy race made the discoveries of an Hope to him by bringing in a New-Covenant this was revealed unto man immediately upon his Apostasy This indeed is a way best suited to the nature of man and God hath vouchsafed thus to accommodate himself thereunto see Psal 111. 9. Isa 55. 3. And elsewhere frequently 2 That it is of the nature of a Covenant Promise to be joyned with some Condition This Conclusion follows from the consideration of a Covenant in General which is a Mutual Obligation wherein there are two parties engaged each to the other so that the engagement on one part stands related to the engagement on the other part thereupon it is Hypothetical A Covenant Promise is a Promise which is made with a relative respect to something that is expected from him to whom it is made on the performance whereof the Obligation of the Promise stands and on the failure whereof it becomes void and therefore there is sometimes expressed always intended a Threatning to take place instead of the Promise in case of such a failure and a person hath no farther hold on the Promise than as he is under the Condition of it So was the promise of the first Covenant Isa 56. 2. And therefore there was also a Threatning Gen. 2. 17. Thus also is the Gospel Covenant Promise expressed and connected Mark 16 16. 3 That these Absolute Promises are therefore called Absolute because they have to depending Condition in the Covenant of Grace Hither we are to refer all such Promises as do engage the giving of the conditions of the Covenant of Grace to these or those Many such as these are to be found in the Book of God particularly in Isa 57. 18 Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. And several more of the same Tenour These Promises can have no condition depending in the Covenant of Grace for so they would argue a contradiction for God to say I will Convert you if you will Convert yourselves I will give you a New heart if you will make a New Heart to yourselves I will give you Faith to believe if you will believe in your own strength These promises represent God plainly undertaking freely and fully to work that in sinners which is required in the Gospel Covenant in order to their being made partakers in the good therein promised and for that reason are they said to be Absclute with respect to the Gospel Covenant because they bear no respect to the Condition which is therein propounded and required so as to engage for it 4. That all these promises have their Conditions and the performance of them contained in the Covenant of Redemption Hence it is that they are given in the Word of God to be the discoveries of the great Efficacy of that Covenant and to assure us of the certain and unfailing fulfilment of it that no sin or unworthiness of the Creature shall be able to obstruct it how much soever