The Parties In The Covenant Of Grace
THE PARTIES IN THE COVENANT OF GRACE
In all covenants, of whatsoever nature they be, whether covenants of absolute promise, or conditional ones, there must needs be distinct parties: for howbeit one may decree, resolve, or purpose with himself, without another party; yet one's covenanting or bargaining, vowing or promising, speaks an obligation thence arising to another distinct party. Accordingly, in the covenant of grace there are three parties to be considered; 1. The party-contractor on heaven's side; 2. The party-contractor on man's side; and, 3. The party contracted and undertaken for. Of which in order. And,
As it was the covenant of works in this point, so it is likewise in the covenant of grace; the party upon the one side is God himself, and he only. There was no need of any other to see to the interests of heaven in this covenant; and there was no other when it was made, being made from eternity, before the world began, Tit. 1:2. This is plain from the words of the covenant," I will be their God, "Jer. 31:33.
But whether God is herein to be considered personally or essentially, is not quite so clear. Some divines think, that the Father, personally considered, namely, as the first person of the glorious Trinity, is the party-contractor on heaven's side; others, that God, essentially considered, that is, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is that party-contractor. But however we conceive of that matter, we are assured from the holy oracles, that these three are one God; and judge, that, according to the Scripture, it may be safely said, that God essentially considered, was the party-contractor in the person of the Father. Hereby it is owned, that the Son and the Holy Ghost have their part in the covenant, on heaven's side, as the party offended by man's sin; and, in the meantime, a peculiar agency in this great work of power and authority, on that side, is attributed to the Father; as there is unto the Son, on man's side.
And that of the party-contractor on heaven's side we may conceive aright in this matter, these two things are, in the first place, to be taken notice of. 1. He from all eternity decreed the creation of man after his own image, and the making of the covenant of works with him, in time. All things brought forth in time, lay from eternity in the womb of God's decree; in virtue whereof they have their being in time: for which cause the decree is said to bring forth, as a woman doth a child, Zeph. 2:2. And the creation of angels and men, with the providence about them, made many lines in the volume of the sealed book of the decrees. God self-sufficient needed neither man nor angel: but, for the manifestation of his own glory, he purposed from eternity to create them; and moreover, to enter into such a covenant with man, as one should therein represent the whole family; sovereign pleasure meanwhile taking another method with the angelic tribe: but withal purposing to give both the one and the other a sufficient ability to stand in their integrity, if they would. Thus, from eternity, the covenant of works, in all the parts and appurtenances thereof, was before the eternal mind; though being made with a mere man, it could not actually be entered into, till once man was created. But, "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world," Acts 15:18. 2. He decreed also from eternity, to permit the first man, the representative of the whole family, to fall, and so to break the covenant, and involve himself, and all his posterity in ruins. It is evident from the spotless holiness of God, and the nature of the thing, that the divine permission was not the cause of man's fall; and from the necessary dependence of the creature upon the Creator, that without it, he could not have fallen. But the sovereign Lord of the creatures, permitted the fall of man for his own holy ends, purposing to bring about good from it.
Now, God, the party contractor on heaven's side in the covenant of grace, is to be considered in that matter in a threefold view.
1. He is to be considered in it as an offended God; offended with all the sins of all mankind, original and actual. Looking upon the children of men, the whole mass of mankind appeared in the eyes of his glory corrupt and loathsome, the very reverse of his holiness: he saw them all gone aside, together become filty, none doing good, no not one, Psalm 14:2, 3. In the first covenant, God contracted with man himself as a friend, without the interposition of a Mediator: but in the second covenant it was not so, and it could not be so; for in it man was considered as a fallen creature, a transgressor of the law, and an enemy to God; and it is a covenant of reconciliation, a covenant of peace, for those who had been at war with heaven.
2. But withal God is to be considered herein as a God purposeing and decreeing from eternity to manifest the glory of his free grace, love, and mercy, in the salvation of some of mankind lost. Accordingly, we are said to be saved in time, "according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began," 2 Tim. 1:9. Without such a purpose of grace in God, there could never have been such a covenant of grace. But the sovereign Lord of the creatures overlooking the fallen angels as to any purpose of mercy, entertained thoughts of love and peace towards fallen mankind, purposing in himself to make some of them everlasting monuments of his free grace and mercy, partakers of life and salvation; and so set on foot the covenant of grace.
3. Lastly, Yet we are to consider him also in this matter as a just God, who cannot but do right, give sin a just recompence, and magnify his holy law, and make it honourable, Gen. 18:25; Heb. 2:2; Isa. 42:21. Upon the motion for extending mercy to sinners of mankind, the justice of God interposeth, pleading that mercy cannot be shewn them, but upon terms agreeable to law and justice. And indeed it was neither agreeable to the nature of God, nor to his truth in his word, to erect a throne of grace on the ruins of his exact justice, nor to shew mercy in prejudice of it. Now, the justice of God required, that the law which was violated, should be fully satisfied and the honour thereof repaired by suffering and obedience: the former such as might satisfy the penal sanction of the law, and the latter, the commanding part of it. The which being quite beyond the reach of the sinners themselves, they behoved to die without mercy, unless another, who could be accepted as a sufficient surety, should undertake for them, as a second Adam, coming in their room and stead, as they lay ruined by the breach of the covenant of works.
Thus stood the impediments in the way of mercy to fallen man, quite insuperable to him, or any of his fellow creatures; and the covenant of grace was made for removing those impediments out of the way, and that it might be the channel wherein the whole rich flood of saving mercy might flow freely, for the quickening, purging, sanctifying, and perfecting of lost sinners of mankind, who were under the bands of death and the curse, through the breach of the first covenant by the first Adam.
From what is said on this point, we may draw this inference, to wit, That the redemption of the soul is precious. The salvation of lost sinners was a greater work than the making of the world: the powerful word commanded, and this last was done; but the former was not to be compassed, but with more ado.
We have seen, that upon the one side, in the covenant of grace, is God himself. Now, upon the other side is Jesus Christ the Son of God, with his spiritual seed, Heb. 2:13, "Behold, I and the children which God hath given me:" the former, as the party-contractor and undertaker; the latter, as the party contracted and undertaken for: a good reason for his name "Immanuel, which being interpreted, is, God with us," Matt. 1:23.
The party-contractor then with God, in the covenant of grace, is our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone managed the interests of men in this eternal bargain: for at the making of it none of them were in being; nor, if they had been, would they have been capable of affording any help.
Now, Jesus Christ the party-contractor on man's side, in the covenant of grace, is, according to our texts, to be considered in that matter as the last or second Adam, head and representative of a seed, lost sinners of mankind, the party contracted for. And thus he sisted himself Mediator between an offended just God, and offending men guilty before him. In which point lay one main difference betwixt the first Adam and the last Adam: for there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom," 1 Tim. 2:5, 6. And so the covenant of grace, which could not be made immediately with sinners, was made with Christ the last Adam, their head and representative, mediating between God and them; therefore called Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, to whom we come by believing, Heb. 12:22, 24.
The term Mediator is not, to my observation, applied in the holy Scripture to any other except Moses, Gal. 3:19, "The law—was ordained by angels in the hand of a Mediator." And of him, a typical mediator, it is worth observing, that he was not only an inter-messenger between God and Israel; but in God's renewing his covenant, in a way of reconciliation, after the breaking of the tables, the covenant was made with him, as their head and representative, Exod. 34:27, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." This refers unto the gracious answer made to Moses, prayer, ver. 9, "Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance." Ver. 10, "And he" namely, the Lord, "said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels," &c. Ver. 28, "And he wrote upon the tables" to wit, the new ones, "the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." Now, Moses was alone on the mount with God during the whole time of this transaction; and in it the Lord speaks of him and the people as one, all along.
For clearing of this purpose anent the party-contractor on man's side, I shall, 1. Evince, that the covenant of grace was made with Christ as the last Adam, head and representative of a seed; and, 2. Shew why it was so made.
First, That the covenant of grace, the second covenant, was made with Christ as the last or second Adam, head and representative of a seed, to wit, his spiritual seed, appears from the following considerations.
1. Covenants typical of the covenant of grace were made or established with persons representing their respective seed. Thus it was in the typical covenant in our text, the covenant of royalty made with David, an undoubted type of the covenant of grace. In it David was God's servant, having a seed comprehended with him therein, Psalm 89:3, 4. He was an eminent type of Christ; who is therefore called David, Hos. 3:5, "Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king." And the benefits of the covenant of grace are called the sure mercies of David, Isa. 55:3. Thus was it also in the covenant of the day and night, (Jer. 33:20,) established with Noah and his sons, representatives of their seed, the new world, Gen. 9:9, "Behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you." And that this covenant was a type of the covenant of grace, appears, from its being made upon a sacrifice, chap. 8:20, 21, 22; and from the sign and token of it, the rainbow, chap. 9:13, appearing round about the throne, Rev. 4:3; but especially from the nature and import of it, to wit, that there should not be another deluge, Gen. 9:11; the substance of which is plainly declared, Isa. 54:9, "As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." Ver. 10, "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee." And such also was the covenant of the land of Canaan, made with Abraham representing his seed, Gen. 15:18, and afterwards confirmed by oath, chap. 22:16, 17. In all which he was an eminent type of Christ, the true Abraham, father of the multitude of the faithful, who, upon God's call, left heaven his native country, and came and sojourned among the cursed race of mankind, and there offered up his own flesh and blood a sacrifice unto God, and so became the true heir of the world, and received the promises for his spiritual seed; the sum whereof is given by Zacharias in his account of the covenant with Abraham, Luke 1:72, "To remember his holy covenant:" ver. 73, "The oath which he sware to our father Abraham," ver. 74, "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear," ver. 75, "in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life." And finally, thus it was in the covenant of everlasting priesthood made with Phinehas, another type of the covenant of grace. In it Phinehas stood a representative of his seed, Numb. 25:13, "And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenat of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." And therein he typified Jesus Christ, representing his spiritual seed in the covenant of grace: for it is evident, that it is in Christ, who made the great atonement for sinners, the everlasting priesthood promised to Phinehas, hath its full accomplishment: his spiritual seed partaking of the same in him; according to Psalm 110:4, "Thou art a priest for ever." Rev. 1:6, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father."
Now, forasmuch as these typical covenants were made or established with parties standing therein as public persons, heads, and representatives of their seed; it natively follows, that the covenant of grace typified by them, was made with Christ as the head and representative of his spiritual seed: for whatsoever is attributed to any person or thing as a type, hath its accomplishment really and chiefly in the person or thing typified.
2. Our Lord Jesus Christ being, in the phraseology of the Holy Ghost, the last Adam, the reason hereof cannot be taken from the nature common to the first Adam and him; for all mankind partake of that; but from their common office of federal headship and representation, in the respective covenants touching man's eternal happiness; the which is peculiar unto Adam, and the man Christ. Accordingly, Adam is called the first man, and Christ the second man, 1 Cor. 15:47; but Christ is no otherwise the second man, than as he is the second federal head, or the representative in the second covenant; as Adam was the first federal head, or the representative in the first covenant. Agreeable to which, the apostle represents Adam as the head of the earthy men, and Christ as the head of the heavenly men, ver. 48; the former being those who bear Adam's image, namely, all his natural seed; the latter, those who partake of the image of Christ, namely, his spiritual seed, ver. 49. All this is confirmed from Adam's being a figure or type of Christ, which the apostle expressly asserts, Rom. 5:14; and from the parallel he draws betwixt them two, namely, that as by Adam's covenant-breaking, sin and death came on all that were his, so by Christ's covenant-keeping, righteousness and life come to all that are his, vers. 17, 18, 19. Wherefore, as the first covenant was made with Adam, as the head and representative of his natural seed; so the second covenant was made with Christ, as the head and representative of his spiritual seed.
3. As the first man was called Adam, that is to say, man; he being the head representative of mankind, the person in whom God treated with all men, his natural seed in the first covenant; and, on the other hand, all men therein represented by him, do, in the language of the Holy Ghost, go under the name of Adam, Psalm 29:5, 11. "Surely every man" in the original it is, all Adam "is vanity:" so Christ bears the name of his spiritual seed, and they on the other hand bear his name; a plain evidence of their being one in the eye of the law, and of God's treating with him as their representative in the second covenant. Israel is the name of the spiritual seed, Rom. 9:6; and our Lord Jesus Christ is called by the same name, Isa. 49:3. "Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified;" as several learned and judicious commentators do understand it; and is evident from the whole context, vers. 1, 2, 4–9. The truth is, Christ is here so called with a peculiar solemnity; for the original text stands precisely thus, "Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will glorify myself:" that is, thou art Israel representative, in whom I will glorify myself, and make all mine attributes illustrious; as I was dishonoured, and they darkened, by Israel the collective body of the spiritual seed. And this leads us to a natural and unstrained interpretation of that pas sage, Psalm 24:6. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob;" that is, in other words, that long for the appearing (Prov. 7:15; Gen. 32:30.) of the Messias the Lord whom the old testament church did so seek; a pledge of whose coming to his temple. (Mal. 3:1.) was the bringing in of the ark into the tabernacle that David had erected for it, on which occasion that Psalm was penned. Accordingly it follows immediately, ver. 7, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in." And in another Psalm penned on the same occasion, and expressly said to have been delivered on that very day into the hand of Asaph, 1 Chron. 16:1, 7, that is the expression found, ver. 11, "Seek his face continually;" justly to be interpreted, agreeable to the circumstances of the main thing which David through the Spirit had in view that day, namely, the coming of the Messias. Thus, Christ bears the name of his spiritual seed; and they, on the other hand, bear his name too: 1 Cor. 12:12, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
4. The promises were made to Christ as the second Adam, the head and representative of his seed: Gal. 3:16, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." I own, that here, even as in the text immediately before cited, is meant Christ mystical, the head and members. It is to them that the promises are here said to be made; but primarily to the head, secondarily to the members in him; even as the promise of life in the first covenant, was primarily made to Adam as the head, and secondarily to all his natural seed in him. Thus, in the typical covenant with Abraham, the promises of the earthly inheritance were primarily made to Abraham himself, and secondarily to his seed according to the flesh. And even so the promise of the eternal inheritance plainly stands made to Christ, Tit. 1:2, "In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" when there was none but Christ to whom that promise could be made personally. Accordingly the covenant is said to be made with the house of Israel, namely, the Spiritual Israel; yet are the promises of it directed, not to them, but to another person, Heb. 8:10, "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." The reason of which plainly appears, in the promises being made to Christ as their head and representative. Now, forasmuch as these promises belong to the covenant of grace, which is therefore called the covenants of promise, Eph. 2:12, it is manifest, that if they were made to Christ as the head and representative of a seed, the covenant of grace was made with him as such; and he to whom they were primarily made, was surely the party-contractor therein.
5. Lastly, This federal headship of Christ, and his representing his spiritual seed in the covenant of grace, appears from his suretiship in that covenant, the better testament, whereof Jesus was made a surety, Heb. 7:22. Now, he became surety for them in the way of satisfaction for their debt of punishment and obedience; and that taking the whole burden on himself, as for persons utterly unable to answer for themselves. This will afterwards fall in to be cleared. Meanwhile, such a surety is a true representative of the party he is surety for, and one person with them in the eye of the law. Hence, not only is Christ said to have been made sin for us, 2 Cor. 5:21, to have had the iniquity of us all laid on him, Isa. 53:6, and to have died for us, Rom. 5:8; but also we are said to have been crucified with Christ, Gal. 2:20, to be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5:21, yea, to be raised up together, and glorified, being made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2:6, and to be made alive in Christ, as we die in Adam, 1 Cor. 15:22. All which necessarily requires this his headship and representation in the covenant.
And thus it appears, that the second covenant was made with Christ as the last or second Adam, head and representative of his spiritual seed.
Secondly, We are to inquire, wherefore the second covenant, the covenant of grace, was so made? And this shall be accounted for in the following particulars.
1. The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the last Adam, head and representative of his spiritual seed, that infinite love might have an early vent, even from eternity. The special love of God to the spiritual seed took vent in the covenant of grace. And that love and that covenant are of the same eternal date: as the love was everlasting or eternal, Jer. 31:3, so was the covenant, Heb. 13:20; Tit. 1:2. But since the seed are but of yesterday, the covenant of grace behoved to be like the covenant of works, a yesterday's covenant, a time-covenant, if it was not made with Christ as their representative; it could not otherwise have been an eternal covenant. The promise of eternal life, which is undoubtedly a promise of the covenant of grace, could not otherwise have been of so ancient a date, as before the world began, as the apostle says it is, Tit. 1:2. How could an eternal covenant be originally made with creatures of time, but in their eternal head and representative? Or how could an eternal covenant be personally made with them, by way of personal application to them, had it not been from eternity made with another as their head and representative? But in this method of infinite wisdom, free love took an early vent; not waiting the slow motion of its objects creeping out of the womb of time, in which many of them lie wrapt up, even to this day. But as princes sometimes do, by proxy, marry young princesses, before they are marriageable, or capable to give their consent; so God, in his infinite love, married to himself all the spiritual seed, in and by Jesus Christ as their representative, not only before they were capable of consenting, but before they were at all. The which they do afterwards, in their effectual calling, approve of by faith, and give their consent personally to; and so they enjoy God as their God, and God hath them as his people: John 20:17, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God."
2. Otherwise it could not have been made at all a conditional covenant answering the design of it. This covenant taking place only upon the breach of the first covenant, the great design of it was, that dead sinners might have life, as was before observed. Now, in order to this, a holy just God stood upon conditions, without performing of which that life was not to be given: and they were high conditions, Psalm 40:6, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire." 1 Thess. 5:9, 10, "Jesus Christ, who died for us, that—we should live." But how could an effectual conditional covenant for life be made with dead sinners, otherwise than in a representative? Dead souls cannot perform any condition for life at all which can be pleasing to God. They must needs have life before they can do any thing of that nature, be it never so small a condition: therefore a conditional covenant for life, could not be made with sinners in their own persons; especially considering, that the conditions for life were so high, that man at his best state was not able to perform them. Wherefore, if such a covenant was made at all, it behoved to be made with Christ as their representative, Rom. 8:3, 4.
3. It was so ordered, to the end it might be unto us poor sinners a covenant of grace indeed. It is evident from the holy Scriptures, that this covenant was designed for exalting the free grace of God; and that it is so framed, as to be a covenant of pure grace, and not of works, in respect of us, whatever it was in respect of Christ: Rom. 4:16, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace." Eph. 2:9, "Not of works, lest any man should boast." And at this rate, indeed, it is a covenant of pure grace; and all ground of boasting is taken away from us; the Lord Jesus Christ himself, as representative, being sole undertaker and performer of the conditions thereof. But it is not so, if it is made with the sinner himself, standing as principal party, contracting with God, and undertaking and performing the conditions of the covenant for life: for how low soever these conditions, undertaken and wrought by the sinner in his own person, are supposed to be, the promise of the covenant is made to them; and so, according to the Scripture-reckoning, it is a covenant of works, Rom. 4:4, "Now to him that worketh, is "the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt;" and betwixt Adam's covenant and such a covenant, there is no difference, but in degree, which leaves it still of the same kind.
4. This method was taken, that the communication of righteousness and life might be in as compendious a way, as the communication of sin and death was: "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous," Rom. 5:19. The covenant of works having been made with Adam, as a representative of his natural seed, upon the breaking thereof, sin and death are communicated to them all from him as a deadly head. This being so, it was not agreeable to the method of divine procedure with men, to treat with those predestinated unto salvation severally, as principal parties, each contracting for himself in the new covenant for life; but to treat for them all with one public person, who, through his fulfilling the covenant, should be a quickening head to them, from whence life might be derived to them, in as compendious a way, as death was from the first Adam. For his mercies are above all his other works.
5. Lastly, The covenant of grace was so made, that it might be a sure covenant; even to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, Rom. 4:16. The first covenant was made with a mere creature, as a principal party, and contractor: and though he was a holy and righteous man, yet was he so fickle and unstable, that he failed of performing the condition he undertook; and so the benefit of the promise was lost: wherefore fallen men were not at all fit to be principal parties, or parties-contractors, in the new covenant, wherein the promise was to be sure, and not to miss of an accomplishment. They being then wholly a broken company, not to be trusted in the matter, Jesus Christ the Son of God was constituted head of the new covenant, to act for, and in name of the spiritual seed: and that to the end, the covenant being in this manner sure in point of the fulfilling of the condition, might be also sure in point of the accomplishment of the promise. And this is the very hinge of the stability of the covenant of grace, according to the Scripture: Psalm 89:28, "My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him." Ver. 22, "The enemy shall not exact upon him;" or, as others read it, and I think justly, "The enemy shall not beguile him," namely, as he did the first Adam. The original phrase is elliptical, q. d. The enemy shall not beguile (his soul, Jer. 37:9.) in him.
Before I leave this point, I offer the following inferences from it.
Inf. I. The covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace, are not two distinct covenants, but one and the same covenant. I know that many divines do express themselves otherwise in this matter; and that upon very different views, some of which are no ways injurious to the doctrine of free grace. But this I take to be Scripture truth, and a native consequent of the account given of the covenant of grace in our Larger Catechism, to wit, "That the covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed:" Gal. 3:16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ," Rom. 5:15, to the end. Isa. 53:10, 11, "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied," &c. So the covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace are but two names of one and the same second covenant, under different considerations. By a covenant of redemption is meant a bargain of buying and selling: and such a covenant it was to Christ only; for as much as he alone engaged to pay the price of our redemption, 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. By a covenant of grace, is meant a bargain whereby all is to be had freely: and such a covenant it is to us only, to whom the whole of it is of free grace; God himself having provided the ransom, and thereupon made over life and salvation to us, by free promise, without respect to any work of ours, as the ground of our right thereto.
To confirm this, consider, (1.) That, in Scripture reckoning, the covenants for life and happiness to man are but two in number, whereof the covenant of works is one: Gal. 4:24, "These are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage," namely, generating bond children, excluded from the inheritance, ver. 30. This is a distinguishing character of the covenant of works; for such are indeed the children of that covenant, but not the children of the covenant of grace under any dispensation thereof. These two covenants are called, the old covenant, and the new covenant; and the old is called the first, which speaks the new to be the second: Heb. 8:13, "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old." This is agreeable to the two ways unto life, revealed in the Scripture; the one by works, the other by grace, Rom. 11:6. The one is called the law, the other grace, chap. 6:14. The former is the law-covenant with the first Adam representing all his natural seed; made first in paradise, and afterward repeated on Mount Sinai, with the covenant of grace: the latter is the covenant of grace, made with the second Adam representing his spiritual seed: 1 Cor. 15:47, 48. (2.) It is evident, that the salvation of sinners is by the blood of the covenant, which is the blood of Christ, Heb. 10:29; 1 Cor. 11:25. And the Scripture mentions the blood of the covenant four times; but never the blood of the covenants: therefore the covenant, the blood whereof the Scripture mentions, and our salvation depends upon, is but one covenant, and not two. Now, that covenant is Christ's covenant, or the covenant of redemption: for it was through the blood of it he was brought again from the dead; namely, in virtue of the promise made therein to be fulfilled to him upon his performing the condition thereof, Heb. 13:20. And it is also his people's covenant, or the covenant of grace, Exod. 24:8, "Behold, the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you." It is expressly called their covenant, Zech. 9:11, "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water." The words expressing the party here spoken to, being of the feminine gender in the first language, make it evident, that this is not directed to Christ, but to the church: so the covenant is proposed as their covenant. And the spiritual prisoners are delivered, in virtue of this their covenant, which certainly must be the covenant of grace. By all which it appears, that the covenant of grace is the very same covenant that was made with Christ, in respect of whom it is called the covenant of redemption.
Inf. 2. Like as all mankind sinned in Adam, so believers obeyed and suffered in Christ the second Adam. For as the covenant of works being made with Adam as a public person and representative, all sinned in him, when he broke that covenant; so the covenant of grace being made with Christ, as a public person and representative, all believers obeyed and suffered in him, when he so fulfilled this covenant. This is the doctrine of the apostle, Rom. 5:19, "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Chap. 8:3, "God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh;" ver. 4, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us." 2 Cor. 5:21, "That we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Gal. 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ." And it affords a solid answer for believers, unto the law's demand of obedience and suffering for life and salvation.
3. Believers are justified immediately, by the righteousness of Christ, without any righteousness of their own intervening; even as all men are condemned, upon Adam's sin, before they have done any good or evil in their own persons: Rom. 5:18, "As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." And thus believers are righteous before God with the self same righteousness which was wrought by Jesus Christ, in his fulfilling the covenant. The which righteousness is not imputed to them in its effects only; so as their faith, repentance, and sincere obedience, are therefore accepted as their evangelical righteousness, on which they are justified: but it is imputed to them in itself, even as Adam's sin was.
4. The covenant of grace is absolute, and not conditional to us. For being made with Christ, as representative of his seed, all the conditions of it were laid on him, and fulfilled by him. Wherefore all that remains of it to be accomplished, is, the fulfilling of the promises unto him and his spiritual seed; even as it would have been in the case of the first covenant, if once the first Adam had fulfilled the condition thereof.
5. The covenant of grace is a contrivance of infinite wisdom and love, worthy to be embraced by poor sinners, as well ordered in all things and sure, 2 Sam. 23:5. O admirable contrivance of help for a desperate case! Wonderful contrivance of a covenant of God with them who were incapable of standing in the presence of his holiness, or of performing the least condition for life and salvation! A new bargain for the relief of lost sinners made on the highest terms with those who were not able to come up to the lowest terms! Infinite wisdom found out the way, to wit, by a representative. The love of the Father engaged him to propose the representation; and the love of the Son engaged him to accept of it. Thus God had one, with whom he might contract with the safety of his honour; and who was able to fulfil the covenant, to the reparation of the injuries done to his glory: and sinners also had one able to act for them, and to purchase salvation for them at the hand of a holy just God. So a sure covenant was made, and a firm foundation laid, upon which God laid the weight of his honour, and on which sinners may safely lay their whole weight: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion a sure foundation: he that believeth, shall not make haste," Isa. 28:16; "shall not be ashamed," Rom. 9:33.
6. Lastly, The way to enter personally into the covenant of grace so as to partake of the benefits thereof, unto salvation, is, to unite with Christ the head of the covenant by faith. Being thus ingrafted into him, ye shall partake of all that happiness which is secured to Christ mystical, in the everlasting covenant: even as through your becoming children of Adam, by natural generation, ye are personally entered into the first covenant, so as to fall under that sin and death which passed upon all men, by the breach thereof, Rom. 5:12.
As the party contractor and undertaker on man's side, in the covenant of grace, was a representative; so the party contracted and undertaken for, was represented by him. And that these two, namely, the represented, and those contracted for, are of equal latitude, is plain from the nature of the thing: for these whom one represents in a covenant, he contracts for in that covenant; and those for whom one contracts in a covenant made with him as representative, are represented by him in that covenant. Thus it was in the covenant of the first Adam, who was a figure of Christ the head of the second covenant. In it, those whom Adam contracted for, he represented; and those whom he represented, he contracted for: he represented his natural seed only, and for them alone he contracted: therefore those whom the second Adam contracted for, he represented; and whom he represented, he contracted for.
Now, the party represented and contracted for, by our Lord Jesus Christ, in the covenant of grace, was the elect of mankind; being a certain number of mankind, chosen from eternity to everlasting life; "children partakers of flesh and blood, which God gave to Christ," Heb. 2:13, 14. In their person he stood, making this covenant with his Father; in their name he acted, striking this bargain with him, as a surety to obey the law, and satisfy justice.
And this I shall, in the first place, confirm; and then shall inquire how the elect were considered in this covenant and federal representation.
First, That the elect were the party represented, or contracted and undertaken for, in the covenant of grace, appears from the following grounds.
1. The party with whom the covenant was made, is in the text called God's chosen; as representing and contracting for all the chosen or elect: even as the first man was called Adam or man, as representing and contracting for all mankind in his covenant. For, as the apostle teacheth, Heb. 2:11, "he—and they—are all of one;" not only of one nature, but also of one body, to wit, the election; Christ is the head elect, Isa. 42:1, they the body elect, Eph. 5:23. Therefore they go under one name, principally belonging to him, and then to them by participation with him. Thus he is also called Abraham's seed, as representing all the spiritual seed of Abraham, that is, the elect, Gal. 3:6, "And to thy seed which is Christ;" and the seed of the woman, as opposed to the serpent's seed; and under that name also the elect are comprehended; they, and they only, being the party betwixt whom and the serpent with his seed, God puts the enmity, according to the promise, Gen. 3:15.
2. Those whom Christ represented and contracted for in the covenant of grace, are the heavenly men: 1 Cor. 15:47, 48, "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." Now, the heavenly men, belonging to Christ the second man, are none other but the elect. For they are contra-distinguished to the earthy men, belonging to the first man; to wit, all mankind taken into the first covenant in Adam: and therefore they are the elect men, taken into the second covenant, in the second Adam. Again, the heavenly men are those who shall bear the image of the heavenly man Christ, ver. 49; and such are the elect, and they alone. And, finally, they are those to whom Christ is, in respect of efficacy, a quickening spirit: for "as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." As Adam's deadly efficacy goes as wide as his representation did in the first covenant, reaching all mankind his natural seed, and them only; so Christ's quickening efficacy goes as wide as his representation did in the second covenant, reaching all the elect, his spiritual seed, and them only: and if it did not, some would be deprived of the benefit which was purchased and paid for, by the surety, in their name: the which is not consistent with the justice of God.
3. They whom Christ represented and contracted for in the covenant, are his seed, his spiritual seed: Gal. 3:16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith—and to thy seed, which is Christ." Psalm 89:3, 4, "I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish for ever." In the covenants typical of the covenant of grace, the parties represented were the seed of the representatives they were made with, as was cleared before: and in the first Adam's covenant, his natural seed were the represented. Wherefore, in the second Adam's covenant, his spiritual seed are the represented. Now, Christ's spiritual seed are the elect, and none other; for they are those whom he begets with the word of truth, Jam. 1:18. and are born again (1 Pet. 1:23.) unto him in their regeneration; whom therefore he sees as his seed, with his own image on them, Isa. 53:10. They are the travail of his soul, who, sooner or later, are, all of them, justified, ver. 11. They are the seed that shall serve him, Psalm 22:30; which shall be established and endure for ever, namely, in a state of happiness, Psalm 89:4, 29, 36.
4. Lastly, Christ was in the covenant of grace Israel-representative, according to that text, Isa. 49:3, "Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified." Now, Israel the collective body, is the elect, Rom. 9:6, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel:" therefore the elect were the party represented and contracted for in the covenant. So those whom Christ took with him into the bond of his covenant, are described to be the seed of Abraham: Heb. 2:16, "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham:" or rather as it is read in the margin of our Bibles, more agreeable to the original, "He taketh not hold of angels, but, of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold." The original word signifies, to take hold of a thing running away, or falling down; and in the same manner of construction, it is used of Christ's catching hold of Peter sinking in the water, Matth. 14:31. Fallen angels and men were both run away from God, and sinking in the sea of his wrath: and Christ with the bond of the covenant, takes hold of men; but not of the fallen angels; them he leaves to sink unto the bottom. All the seed of Adam was sinking, as well as the seed of Abraham, which is but a part of the seed of Adam, even some of all mankind: but Christ is not said to have taken hold of the seed of Adam, that is, all mankind; but of the seed of Abraham, that is, all the elect, or the spiritual Israel, called the house of Jacob, Luke 1:33. Accordingly it is observable, that the first time the covenant of grace was heard in the world, the discourse was directed to the serpent, by way of narration, Gen. 3:14, 15; not to Adam, as the first covenant was, chap. 2:16, 17, that Adam might know, he was to come in here as a private person only, and not as a public person with his seed. And for this cause also, our Lord Jesus is not simply called Adam, or man; but the last Adam, and the second man, whose seed differs from that of the first man, as Abraham's seed from Adam's seed: but he is simply called Israel, without any epithet at all: and his seed is plainly determined to be the elect, Isa. 45:25, "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified;" even as in the first man all the seed of Adam was condemned, Rom. 5:18. For as the first man was simply called Adam or man, because, in the first covenant, he was a compend of all mankind; he was all men in law-reckoning, they being all represented by him: so Jesus Christ was a compend of all Israel, that is, all the elect; he was all Israel in law-reckoning, they being all represented by him. And thus we have the true ground of the universality of that expression, Isa. 53:6. "The Lord, hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;" i. e. of all Israel that is to say, all the elect. The which is confirmed by a parallel text, bearing the type, whereof this hath the antitype, viz. Lev. 16:21, "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live-goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat." For as Israel was a people entertained with types, so they themselves were indeed a typical people.
Secondly, We are to inquire, how the elect were considered in this covenant and federal representation. And therein they came under a threefold consideration.
1. They were considered as sinners, lost, ruined, and undone in Adam; lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matt. 15:24. In the first covenant, the whole flock of mankind was put under the hand of one shepherd, to wit, Adam; but he, losing himself, lost all the flock, and was never able to recover so much as one of them again. God had, from all eternity, put a secret mark on some of them, whereby he distinguished them from the rest, 2 Tim. 2:19, "Having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." And them also he saw among others, gone away from their pasture, wandering as waifs and strays, a prey to every devourer: but, in order to their being sought out, and returned, and kept in safety for ever, the new covenant was entered into with another shepherd, even our Lord Jesus Christ: and they are put under his hand, as the shepherd of Israel. In Adam's representation in the covenant of works, the party represented was considered as an upright seed, Eccl. 7:29; but in Christ's representation in the covenant of grace, the party represented was considered as a corrupt sinful mass, laden with guilt, under the wrath of God and curse of the law. And who would have represented such a company, putting himself in their room and stead? But free love engaged our Lord Jesus to it. So the holy one of God represented wretched sinners; the beloved of the Father represented the cursed company.
2. They were considered also as utterly unable to help themselves, in whole or in part; as being without strength, Rom. 5:6. They were debtors, but quite unable to pay off one farthing of the debt: they were criminals, but quite unable to bear their own punishment, to the satisfaction of justice: had it lain on them to have paid the debt, or borne the punishment, they behoved to have sunk under the load for ever. So it was necessary they should have one to represent them, taking the burden upon him for them all.
3. Lastly, They were considered withal as the objects of eternal, sovereign, and free love, given to Christ by his Father. The Father loved them, John 17:23, and therefore gave them to Christ, ver. 6. The Son loved them, Eph. 5:2; and accepting of the gift, represented them in the covenant, as a father his own children, Isa. 9:6, "His name shall be called—The everlasting Father." Compare Heb. 2:13, "Behold, I, and the children which God hath given me." It was owing to this free love, and mere good pleasure, that they, and not others in the same condemnation, by the breach of the first covenant, were represented and contracted for by Jesus Christ, in the second; that their names were put in the eternal contract, while the names of others were left out. They were his Father's choice, and his own choice; so he became their representative.
From what is said concerning the party represented and contracted for, we make the following inferences.
Inf. 1. There is a sovereign freedom of the love of God appearing in the second covenant, the covenant of grace. And it appears especially in two things, (1.) In that there was a love towards fallen man, and not towards fallen angels, Tit. 3:4, whereby it came to pass, that men, and not devils, were taken hold of, represented, and contracted for, by Jesus Christ, in the covenant, Heb. 2:16. Doubtless he could have contracted for the one, as well as for the other: but sovereignty passed by fallen angels, and caught hold of men; howbeit the former were, in their own nature, the more worthy and excellent creatures. But in all the dispensation of grace, there is no respect to creature-worth; all is owing to the mere good pleasure of God, who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. (2) It appears in that there was an electing love of men; whereby it came to pass, that some men, and not all men, were represented and contracted for in the covenant. All men were alike by nature; and there was nothing in one more than in another, to recommend him: but free love pitched on objects altogether unlovely; and sovereign love pitches on some such objects, passing by others of the same condition: "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight," Matth. 11:26. The vessels of honour and the vessels of dishonour are both made of the same sinful lump: a mystery that must be resolved into sovereign will and pleasure, Rom. 9:21 "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" But say not, that this disparageth the federal representation of the second Adam, that he represented only some of mankind, whereas the first Adam represented all mankind. For as it is more to be surety for a vast sum, for one man who neither hath, nor can give any thing at all wherewithal to pay his debt, than to be surety for a hundred such as have abundance of their own; so it was more for Jesus Christ to contract and undertake for one sinner, than for Adam to contract for a righteous world. And still it holds true, that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, Rom. 5:20, for it is more by far to save one than to ruin many. Meanwhile those represented by Christ in the second covenant, are "a great multitude, which no man could number," Rev. 7:9, even as "the stars of heaven," Gen. 15:5. Rom. 4:18.
Inf. 2. There is no universal redemption, nor universal atonement. Jesus Christ died not for all and every individual person of mankind; but for the elect only. The contrary doctrine may consist with the opinion which holds the covenant of redemption, and the covenant of grace, to be two distinct covenants; the former made with Christ, and the latter with believers; the condition of the one undertaken and performed by him, the condition of the other undertaken and performed by us. Accordingly that opinion concerning the covenant, is readily embraced by Universalists of different denominations. But that doctrine is utterly inconsistent with this account of the covenant, which doth at once overthrow universal redemption or atonement, together with the federal conditionality of our holiness, and good works, in the covenant of grace. For if the covenant of grace was made with Christ as a representative, and the elect only were the party represented by him in it; then surely the conditions of the covenant, his doing and dying, were accomplished for them only; and he-died for no other: as when one hath entered into a bond of suretyship, his payment of that bond can never be reckoned a payment of their debt, whose names were not in the bond, and whom he was not surety for.
Inf. 3. and last, Whoever they be that reject the covenant of grace offered to them in the gospel, and so perish; all God's elect shall infallibly be entered personally into it, and be saved. Like as all those whom Adam represented in the covenant of works, have been, are, or shall be brought personally into that covenant, and sin and death pass upon them, Rom. 5:12; even so all those whom Christ represented in the covenant of grace, have been, are, or shall be brought personally into this covenant, and partake of righteousness and life, vers. 18, 19. Our Lord Jesus has fulfilled the conditions of the covenant for them whom he represented; and it would neither be suitable to the justice of God, nor to the wisdom of Christ the party contracting with him, that he should represent, contract, and fulfil the conditions, for any who shall never enjoy the benefit of the contract. Wherefore, since there are who, by a purpose of God that cannot be frustrated, shall, without peradventure, be brought personally into this covenant; and ye who hear the gospel, having the means for compassing that end used towards you, do stand as fair for it as any; this may encourage you to come to Christ, and take hold of the covenant. Bestir yourselves therefore, O sinners, to take hold of the covenant of grace, which is offered to you in the gospel; and come ye to Christ by faith, thereby winding yourselves personally into the bond of this covenant, and the communion thereof.
OBJECTION. "But I fear I am none of those whom Christ represented in the covenant of grace; how then can I take hold of it by believing?" ANSWER. Though your name were the first name that the Lamb wrote down in his book of life; yet you nor no man can know, that it is there at all until that you have by believing taken hold of the covenant. 2 Pet. 1:10, "Make your calling and election sure;" but first your calling, and then your election. And, on the other hand, though you were a monster of all manner of wickedness, and had all the desperate marks of a castaway about you, except that one only, the sin against the Holy Ghost, you nor no man can know that you were not represented in the covenant: Matt. 12:31. "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." Wherefore that matter is an absolute secret to you, which, in this case, you are not to meddle to determine in: for "the secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed, belong onto us," Deut. 29:29. Neither does your warrant to believe and to lay hold on the covenant, any manner of way depend on it: for the reprobate have as good and fair a revealed warrant to believe and take hold of the covenant of grace as the elect have, else they could not be condemned for unbelief, and not taking hold of the covenant. Be what you will, since you are certainly a sinner of mankind, your warrant is uncontestable, according to the word: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life," John 3:16. "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ," 1 John 3:23. Wherefore believe ye, and take hold of the covenant for yourselves; so shall ye know your election, and your representation in the covenant, by the effects thereof.
This difficulty cast in the way of a sinner sensible of his need of Christ, to beat him off from believing on Christ, is a dangerous device and temptation of the devil. But do you repel it, saying, O enemy of my salvation, it is true, I do not know whether Christ represented me or not, in the eternal covenant; neither am I obliged nor concerned to know it, in order to my taking hold of that covenant: but one thing I know assuredly, namely, that the covenant, in the free promise of life and salvation, upon the ground of Christ's obedience and death allenarly, is held out to me, even to me, to be believed, trusted to, and rested upon, by me, even by me; and therefore I will believe, and lay hold on it; and, upon the infallible ground of the faithfulness of God in the promise, "Whosoever believeth, shall not perish, but have everlasting life," I will assuredly conclude, that it shall be made out to me.
QUESTION. But are there no marks or signs whereby a poor sinner may know himself to be one of those who were represented by Christ in the second covenant, and whose names he put in the bond of suretiship that he gave to his Father from eternity? ANSWER. Yea, there are: but then they are such, as although the having of them will prove a man to have been represented by Jesus Christ in the eternal covenant; yet the want of them will not prove a man not to have been represented therein, forasmuch as what one has not now, he may come to have afterwards. And, under this limitation, I offer these two marks of the thing in question.
Mark 1. A deliberate and cordial complacency in the covenant. As it was with the representative from eternity; so it is in time, in that matter, with the represented, when once by grace they become capable of personal consenting: there is a deliberate and cordial complacency in the covenant being proposed, Psalm 40:7, "Then said I," ver. 8, "thy law is within my heart." The children of men discover themselves to be Adam's natural seed, represented by him in the covenant of works, by the inclination and bent of their hearts towards that covenant. There is such a bias to that covenant hung upon the minds of men naturally, that do and live, or work and win, is the religion of all natural men, so far as they have any practical religion at all: and they cannot be brought off from it but by the power of renewing grace. Even so the elect of God discover themselves to be Christ's spiritual seed, represented by him in the covenant of grace, by their deliberate and cordial complacency in this covenant. The heart touched with divine grace says of it, "This is all my salvation, and all my desire," 2 Sam. 23:5. The new bias hung on their minds by renewing grace, carries them to a hearty approbation, relish and liking of the new covenant held forth in the gospel; they are well pleased with the parties-contractors, the representative and representation in it; the conditions and promises of it; the administrator, the administration, and order thereof. In a word, the covenant is in their eyes a faultless contrivance; there is nothing in it they would have out, and there is nothing out of it they would have in. So there they cast anchor for their own souls. But it is not so with others: 1 Pet. 2:7, "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner;" ver. 8, "and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.
Mark 2. The image of Christ begun to be drawn on the soul, together with a longing for the perfecting thereof; 1 Cor. 15:48. "As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." Ver. 49, "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Like as all whom Adam represented, when he entered into the covenant of works in paradise, do afterwards, every one in his time, personate Adam, looking as like him as ever child was like a father, acting even as he acted, as I shewed elsewhere: so all whom Christ represented in the covenant of grace from eternity, do in time put on Christ, Gal. 3:27, personating him, and representing him in another sense, namely, bearing his image, and "walking even as he walked," 1 John 2:6. It is a promise of the covenant to our Lord Jesus, Isa. 53:10, "He shall see his seed," to wit, as one sees a new-born babe. But do not others so see them too? Yea, indeed they do. Satan and wicked men see them, as rebels and traitors do with grudge and hatred see a new-born prince heir to the crown. The godly see them, as in that case the princesses do with a particular satisfaction see their new-born brother. But our Lord Jesus Christ himself sees them, as the king, the father of the babe, does with a peculiar satisfaction see him as his own son, and his own picture. Meanwhile, as Adam's children do not open out all at once what of old Adam is in them, but by degrees as they grow up; but they are still longing for the perfection thereof, when they shall be grown men, so Christ's children are but imperfect in this life as in the state of childhood; but they are longing to arrive at "perfection, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, the principle of which they have in them, Eph. 4:13.
Thus far of the first head, the parties in the covenant of grace.