The Parts Of The Covenant Of Grace
THE PARTS OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE
THE parts of the covenant of grace, being the things therein agreed upon betwixt God and Christ the second Adam, are two, to wit, the conditionary part, and the promissory part. These comprehend the whole of the covenant, and of them we shall treat in order.
The first part of the covenant, namely, the conditionary part.
The condition of a covenant or bargain, properly and commonly so called, is, that part of a covenant or bargain, upon the performing of which one's right to the benefit promised is founded, and his plea for it is stated, as becoming due to him for his performance, according to, and in virtue of the agreement between the parties. This is a federal condition, a covenant-condition, or the condition of a covenant; and what all men, in common conversation understand by a condition of a covenant or bargain. As for instance, the paying of such a sum of money for such a commodity, according to the agreement between the parties, in the condition of a covenant of commerce, sale, or traffic: the working of such a piece of work, or doing of such a deed, for such a reward agreed upon by the parties, is the condition of a covenant of service on hire.
Besides this, there is also what is called a condition of connection or order in a covenant; whereby one thing necessarily goes before another, in the order of the covenant without being the ground upon which one's right and title to that other thing is founded. As in the former instances, the buyer's receiving of the commodity, and the hireling's receiving of the reward, covenanted or bargained for, must needs go before their profession or enjoyment of them; but it is evident, that that receiving is not the thing upon which the buyer's right and title to the commodity, or the hirling's right and title to the reward, is founded: therefore, though it may be called a condition of connection in the respective covenants, yet it cannot, in any propriety of speech, be called the condition of them.
Now, to apply these things to our purpose: in the order of the covenant of grace, forasmuch as the having of the Spirit must go before faith, faith before justification, justification before sanctification, holiness before heaven's happiness; these may be called conditions in the covenant of grace, to wit, conditions of certain connection; and this belongs to the established order of the promises of the covenant, which are contradistinguished to the condition of the covenant. Howbeit such conditions can in no proper sense be called the condition or conditions of the covenant of grace, more than the buyer's receiving of the commodity can be called the condition of the covenant or bargain of sale. But the condition of the covenant of grace, properly so called, is, Christ in the from of a bond-servant, as last Adam, Representative, Kinsman-redeemer, Surety, and Priest, his fulfilling all righteous owing, in virtue of the broken covenant of works, unto God by his spiritual seed: Matth. 3:15, "Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."
For clearing of this purpose, I shall, (1.) Evince this to be the condition of the covenant; (2.) Explain and unfold that righteousness, the fulfilling whereof was made the condition of the covenant.
First, To evince that this is the condition of the covenant of grace consider,
1. Christ's fulfilling all righteousness as second Adam is what the Father proposed unto him, as the terms on which his seed should be saved, and upon which he founded his promise of eternal life to be given them; and not any work or deed of theirs: Isa. 53:10, "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed." Ver. 11, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." Luke 22:20, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." And the same is that which Christ as the second Adam did from eternity consent unto, undertake, and bind himself for; and which he did in time, according to agreement perform. Thus he himself represents it, Matth. 3:15, "Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness;" namely, as it becometh a person of honour and credit to fulfill his bargain. Luke 24:26, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?" to wit, as one ought to perform the condition of a covenant or bargain he has agreed to.
2. This is the only ground of a sinner's right and title to eternal life; and upon nothing else can he safely found his plea before the Lord for life and salvation; Eph. 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Phil. 3:8, 9, "That I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteusness—but—the righteousness which is of God by faith." Surely upon the condition of the covenant fulfilled, one may found his plea before the Lord for the benefits promised in the covenant: but no man may found his plea before the Lord for these on any work or deed of his own whatsoever, no not on faith itself; but only on Christ's fulfilling all righteousness: therefore no work nor deed of ours whatsoever, no not faith itself, can be the condition of the covenant of grace properly so called; but only Christ's fulfilling all righteousness. The sinner standing in the court of conscience, trembling before the Lord, flees in under the covert of that righteousness fulfilled by the Mediator, and dare oppose nothing but it to the condemning sentence of the law, giving up with all other pleas for life and salvation. Believing in Christ is the pleading upon that ground, not the ground of the sinner's plea: it saith, "My Lord and my God" in the promise, upon the ground of Christ's fulfilling all righteousness allenarly, as the condition of the covenant. If any will make it the ground of their plea, they must needs produce it as a work of a law, that is, as a deed done by them, whereby they have fulfilled and answered a law, and whereupon they crave the benefit promised: which will, according to the scripture, be found a dangerous adventure, Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; and 5:4.
3. It is by this, and this alone, the salvation of sinners becomes a debt: therefore this alone is the condition of the covenant. For the reward is of debt to him, and him only, who fulfills the condition of a covenant: to him that worketh, not to him that worketh not, but believeth, Rom. 4:4, 5. And so it is of debt to Christ alone, not to us; and therefore it was he that fulfilled the condition of the covenant; we fulfil no part of it. This is confirmed from the primitive situation of mankind with reference to eternal life, in the first Adam's covenant, duly considered. The condition thereof was perfect active obedience. And, according to the nature of that covenant, if this obedience had been fulfilled by Adam, eternal life to him and his would thereupon have become a debt to him. And the plea of his posterity for life, in that case, would not have been founded on their personal obedience coming after that fulfilment; since it would not have been the performance of the condition, but the fruit of the promise, of the covenant: but it would have been founded on that performance of Adam their representative; forasmuch as, in the case supposed, it would have been the only obedience whereby the condition of that covenant was fulfilled; and so they would have obtained life, not for any personal work or deed of theirs, but for the obedience of the first Adam their representative, to which God did graciously make the promise of life, in the first covenant.
4. Faith and obedience are benefits promised in the covenant, upon the condition of it, as hath been already evinced; and, in virtue of the promises of the covenant, they are produced in the elect: therefore they cannot be the condition of the covenant. And elect infants are saved, though, they are neither capable of believing nor of obeying: howbeit, the condition of the covenant must needs be performed, either by themselves who are saved, or else by another in their stead. Therefore Christ's fulfilling all righteousness, which is the only obedience performed in their stead, must be the alone proper condition of the covenant.
5. Lastly, The covenant of grace doth so exclude our boasting, as the covenant of works did not. This is clear from Rom. 3:27, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." But if any deed or work of ours be the condition of the covenant of grace, in whole or in part, our boasting is not excluded, but hath place therein, as in the covenant of works; the difference being at most but in point of degrees: for, according to the scripture, it is working, or fulfilling the condition of a covenant, that gives the ground of boasting; forasmuch as to him that worketh, the reward is reckoned of debt: and life being of or by works in the covenant of works, though not in the way of proper merit, but in the way of paction or compact only, this gave men the ground of boasting in that covenant, according to the scripture. Therefore, so far as life and salvation are of or by any work or deed of ours, as fulfilling the condition of the covenant of grace, our boasting is not excluded, but hath place therein, as in the covenant of works. Wherefore, since the covenant of grace is so framed, as to leave no ground for our boasting, no work nor deed of ours, but Christ's fulfilling all righteousness, even that alone, is the condition of the covenant of grace: and our life and salvation are neither of works, nor by works, as fulfilling the condition of the covenant: Tit. 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." Eph. 2:9, "Not of works, lest any man should boast."
God forbid we should go about to justle faith and obedience out of the covenant of grace: those who do so in principle or practice, will thereby justle themselves out of the kingdom of heaven: Matt. 5:19, "Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven;" that is, he shall be treated as he treated that one of these commandments, he shall be judged unworthy of the fellowship of that kingdom. Faith is necessary savingly to interest us in Jesus Christ the head of the covenant: and none can attain to eternal happiness, without actual believing, who are subjects capable of it; nor can any attain it without the Spirit of faith indwelling in them. Obedience is necessary, as the chief subordinate end of the covenant, being that whereby God hath his glory he designed therein: and without obedience begun here, none who are subjects capable of it, can see heaven. But withal it is necessary, that they be kept in the place and station assigned them in the covenant by the Father and the Son from eternity. By faith we personally embrace the covenant, consent to, and rest in the condition of the covenant fulfilled by Christ; and so are justified and brought into a state of salvation: John 10:9, "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." Compare John 1:12; and 3:16; and 14:6. By evangelical repentance and gospel-obedience, we testify our thankfulness to God, and evidence the truth of our faith, and our being within the covenant: 1 Pet 2:9, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" ver. 10, "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Compare Rom. 6:13. and 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 6:20.
This the prophet taught the Jewish church of old, Mic. 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" In the sixth verse, a most important question is put, concerning the acceptance of a sinner with God, how it may be obtained, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?" and several costly expedients for that purpose are proposed by the sinner, even to the giving of "the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul," ver. 6, 7. But the prophet answers that question in a word, tacitly upbraiding them with gross stupidity, in their groping for the wall in broad day-light, even as in the night: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;" that is, what is goodly, valuable, and acceptable, in the sight of God, for that purpose, even for a sinner's obtaining pardon and acceptance with God; namely, the Messias, Jesus Christ sacrificed for sinners. This was what God had all along, by his prophets, and by the whole ceremonial law, pointed out to them, and set before them, as the good for that purpose, that they might by faith look thereunto, and be saved, Isa. 45:22. And, in the style of the Holy Ghost, Christ crucified is elsewhere spoken of under the same notion: 2 Chron. 30:18, "The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God." Orig. "Jehovah the good make atonement for," &c. Psalm 85:12, "The Lord shall give that which is good;" or, shall give the good. Compare John 4:10, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is." Isa. 55:2, "Eat ye that which is good." Compare John 6:55, "My flesh is meat indeed." Job 34:4, "Let us know among ourselves what is good." Ver. 5, "For Job hath said, I am righteous." Now, being thus accepted of God, what doth he require of thee in point of gratitude, but to do justly, as one accepted not without a righteousness answering the demands of justice and judgment: and to love mercy, as one who hath obtained mercy; and to walk humbly with thy God, as one who is free grace's debtor? In the same manner of expression doth Moses address himself to the people secured of the possession of Canaan by the oath of God, and being just to enter upon it, Deut. 10:11, 12, "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God," &c.? namely, in point of gratitude, for his giving thee that good land.
Inf. From what is said it appears that your life and salvation entirely depend on your special interest in Christ's righteousness. If ye are possessed of it your salvation is secure; if not, salvation is far from you. If you were never so full of your own righteousness, works, doings, and sufferings, all is but filthy rags in this case, and cannot give you a right or title to life: and although you can see nothing of your own in yourselves, which you can lean to before the Lord, yet if the righteousness of Christ is yours in possession, by faith, your life and salvation are firm as a rock.
CASE. How then shall I know that Christ's righteousness is indeed mine in possession? ANSW. The Lord himself gives a distinguishing character of such happy possessors, Isa. 51:7, "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law." They that know righteousness, are, in the style of the Scripture, those whose it is, agreeable to the phrase, Matth. 25:12, "I know you not," q. d. Ye are none of mine, I acknowledge you not as mine. So this character consists of two parts. (1.) They are such as acknowledge Christ's righteousness as their only righteousness in the sight of God, and look to it alone for life and salvation, renouncing all their own righteousness: Isa. 53:11. "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;" that is by the knowledge or acknowledgement of him, which is by faith. (2.) They have the law of God in their hearts. The righteous people, righteous by faith, are a holy people. They make conscience of internal obedience; for the holy law rules within them, even there whither no eye reacheth, but the eyes of God and their own consciences. So they are distinguished from hypocrites, who are "like unto whited sepulchres, beautiful outward, but within full of all uncleanness." They make conscience of external obedience too; for as the candle burning within the lanthorn will shine through it, so the law of God ruling in the heart, cannot miss to rule in the life and conversation too: Matth. 6:22, "If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." And so they are distinguished from the profane, whose unholy lives declare them to have neither part nor lot in this righteousness: Psalm 24:3, 4, "Who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands." And the law is not only in their minds by its light, to drive them to obedience; as in the case of legalists, who work like slaves; but it is in their hearts and affections, discovering to their souls the beauty of holiness; and so drawing them to all obedience, and causing them to work like sons to a father. Their hearts are reconciled to the purity of the holy law, and they delight in it after the inward man, Rom. 7:22, and would fain reach a full conformity unto it, saying from the heart, "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!" Psalm 119:5.
Secondly, To unfold that righteousness, the fulfilling of which was made the condition of the covenant of grace, we shall view it in the several parts thereof. That righteousness, forasmuch as it was to be fulfilled in the room and stead of sinners, was and must be stated from the law, or broken covenant of works, which they were lying under; for the law, or broken covenant of works, was so far from being neglected in the new bargain, that whatsoever it had to charge upon, or demand of the parties contracted for in the new covenant, was summed up, and set down therein, to be fully cleared by Christ their surety contracting for them. Now, stating that righteousness from thence, it will be found to consist of three parts making so many conditionary articles of the covenant of grace: to wit, holiness of nature, righteousness of life, and satisfaction for sin. Of the which in order.