Argument. VII. Lastly, The covenant doth not only discover the consistence and connection betwixt th
surely there is no reason for their despondencies whatever their afflictions be.
Argument. VII. Lastly, The covenant doth not only discover the consistence and connection betwixt the love and the rod of God, but it also gives full satisfaction to the saints, that whatsoever contemporary mercy they are deprived of, which was within the bond of the covenant when they enjoyed it, is not lost, but shall certainly be restored to them again with a rich improvement, and that they shall enjoy it again to all eternity.
What a rare model or platform of consolatory arguments hath the apostle laid down to antidote our immoderate sorrows, for the death of our dear relatives which died interested in Christ and the covenant! 1 Thes. 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. "I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep," they are not dead, but asleep. Sleep is but a parenthesis to the labours and travels of this life; and it is but a partial privation, not of the habit, but acts of reason, to which, upon awaking, the soul returns again. Just such a thing is that which in believers is commonly called death. And we do not use to bewail our friends because they are fallen asleep: and therefore it no way becomes us to sorrow as those that have no hope, nor to look upon them as lost; for as he strongly argueth and concludeth (ver. 14.) their restoration to their bodies, yea, and to our enjoyment again, is fully secured both to them and us by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The influence of his resurrection is by the prophet Isaiah compared to the morning-dew, Isa. 26:19 to shew that what virtue there is in the morning-dew, to cause the languishing plants of the earth to revive and flourish, that and much more there is in the resurrection of Christ, to revive and quicken the
dead bodies of these saints; their bodies shall be restored by virtue of the warm animating dew or influence of his resurrection.
Objection. But the marvellous change which the resurrection makes upon glorified bodies, and the long separation of many ages betwixt us and them, seems to make it impossible for us to know them, as those that were once related to us upon earth; and, if so, then that comfort which resulted from them, as in relation to us, is perished with them at death.
Solution. Whatever change the resurrection shall make on their bodies, and the length of time betwixt our parting with them on earth, and meeting them again in heaven shall be; neither the one nor the other seem sufficient to destroy the grounds of our hope, that we shall know them to be the very persons that were once so dear to us upon earth. There may remain some lineament or property of individuation, whereby the acute glorified eye may possibly discover who they were; or if not, yet none can doubt but it may be discovered to us by revelation from God; and that one way or other it will be discovered, is highly probable, because nothing will be denied to that perfect state which may contribute to, or complete the joy and happiness thereof, as we cannot but think this knowledge will do. If Adam knew Eve to be flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, in the state of innocence; and if the apostles knew Moses and Elias upon the mount, yea, if Dives in hell knew Abraham and Lazarus in heaven; sure we may well allow that knowledge to the glorified saints in heaven, which we find in the state of innocence, or in the sinful state on earth, or in the state of the damned in hell.
And if so, then the covenanted parents shall be able to say in that day, this was our child for whom we prayed and travailed again, till
Christ was formed in him; this is he whom we educated for God, and
trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: and now we see the fruit of our prayers, counsels, catechisings; a child of so many prayers perished not. And the covenanted child shall say, this was my pious Father, who took such care for my soul; and this my tender mother, who, like another Monica, was zealously concerned for my eternal happiness. These are they that sowed so many prayers, which God gave them not time to reap the fruits of on earth, but now they shall reap the fruit and comfort of them for ever. O joyful meeting in the kingdom of God! The joy of such a meeting abundantly recompenses for all the tears and groans of a dolorous parting.
Now, put all this together, and value the arguments produced to make good the first thing propounded, namely, the sufficiency of the covenant to relieve and remedy all the sorrows and losses of believers, be they never so many, or so great: this cannot be doubted, since it hath been proved, that it disarms all their afflictions of the only sting by which they wound; alters the very nature and property of their afflictions, turning them from curses into blessings; ranks and disposes them into their proper class and place of service, so as the counsel of men and angels could never lay them better to our advantage; engages the gracious and special presence of God with you in all your troubles; secures all your essential and substantial mercies from all hazards and contingencies; discovers a consistency, yea, a connection betwixt the rod and the love of God; and assures you, that whatever temporal mercy you ever enjoyed, in and by virtue of the covenant, shall be restored to you again with an admirable improvement, and singular advantage. It is by all this, I say, abundantly proved, that the covenant is a sovereign and effectual remedy to all the sorrows of God's people; and that it was no hyperbole in David's encomium, when he called it his salvation, and all his desire. But then, as I hinted before,
II. It must be able to do these things at all times, and in all ages, or else it will be but a temporary relief to some only and not to all. Now, that the covenant hath this ability in all ages, and is as able to relieve us now, as it was to relieve David in his day fully appears by the epithet given it in the text, it is an EVERLASTING COVENANT.
"Yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant."
Time is the measure of other things; but everlastingness is the measure of the covenant. When the Lord espouseth a people to himself in covenant, "he betrothes them to himself for ever," Hos.
2:19. And from that day forward they may say on good grounds, "This God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death," as it is in Psal. 48:14. Nothing in nature is so firmly established as the covenant is. Hills and mountains shall sooner start from their basis and centre, and fly like wandering atoms up and down in the air, than this covenant shall start from its sure and steadfast foundation, Isa. 54:10.
The causes and reasons of the immutability of the new covenant, are, 1. The unchangeable purpose of God, which is a sure and stead fast foundation, 2 Tim. 2:19. "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his."
The first act of God's love to the creature, is that by which he chooseth such a one to be his, and is therefore called the foundation of God, as being that on which he lays the superstructure of all other mercies. And this stands sure, there can be no vacillancy or slipperiness in such a foundation; for he knows who are his; he knows them as his creatures, and as his new creatures in covenant with him; as his by election, and his by covenant-transaction and
compact. The purpose of his grace before time, gave being to the covenant of grace in time, and is the foundation of it.
2. The free grace of God in Christ, is that which gives immutability to this covenant. It is not built upon works, but grace: "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace: to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed," Rom. 4:16. This covenant is not founded as the first was, upon the variable and inconstant obedience of man, but upon grace, which is a steady and firm foundation of it.
3. The suretiship of Christ gives everlasting stability to this covenant, Heb. 7:22. "He was made* the surety of a better testament," or covenant: For διαθηκη signifies both; he struck hands, or engaged himself for the whole covenant, and every condition in it, and that both on God's part and ours; to undergo all our punishments, to pay all our debts, and to work in us all that God required of us in the covenant of grace: And all this under the penalty that lay upon us to have undergone. And this not as other sureties, who enter into one and the same bond with the principal, so that the creditor may come upon which he will: but he lays all upon Christ, and relies wholly upon him for satisfaction, knowing he was able to perform it; and so under the type of God's covenant with David, Christ is brought in,
Psal. 89:19. "Thou spakest in vision to thy holy One, and saidst, I have laid help on one who is mighty:" q. d. I know thy ability, my
Son, thou art able to pay me, and therefore I lay all upon thee.
It follows strongly from what hath been said, that the virtue of the covenant decays not by time as other things do, but is at this day, and will be to the end of the world, as potent and efficacious a relief to all
God's people, as ever it was to David, or any of the believers of the first ages.
And if so, certainly nothing can be more strongly supporting, or sweetly relieving in such a changeable world than this, He hath made with me an everlasting covenant. What David speaks of the natural heavens will be found true, of things overspread and covered by them, Psal. 102:26, 27. "They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: and all of them shall wax old like a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." The creature was, and is not; but my covenant God is the same; his name is I am, and his covenant is the same that ever it was; which is the second property or ingredient of this complete remedy to the saints afflictions. The covenant hath not only all power, virtue, and efficacy in itself to relieve a distressed
Christian, but it hath it in all ages, as well for one as for another. The third and last follows, namely, III. That it is a sure covenant. So David stiles it in my text. The certainty of the covenant is the glory of the covenant, and the comfort of all that are in it. The certainty of it in itself is past all doubt, by what hath been said before. It is certain God did make such an everlasting covenant with his people in Christ, and it must remain an eternal truth, that such a covenant there is betwixt God and them.
It is as impossible that this everlasting covenant should not be made with them, as it is impossible for God to lie, Heb. 6:18. If he might make himself not to have covenanted everlastingly with them when once he had so covenanted, such a supposition would destroy the foundation of all faith and certainty, and overthrow the apostle's consequence on which the faith and comfort of believers is built. Nor is it an infringement of the Almighty power, to say, God himself cannot do that which implies a plain contradiction, as factum infectum reddere, to make that which was done, not to be done.
But of this there is no doubt; it is a sure covenant in itself. That which makes to my purpose here, is to prove it capable of personal security and certainty to us. David had, and all the federates, as well as he, may have a subjective or personal certainty also. He speaks categorically and positively in the text. "Yet hath he made [with me] an everlasting covenant."
Objection. If it be said, he might have a personal certainty of it, because it was revealed to him in an extraordinary way by the prophet Nathan, 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 14 and extraordinaria non current in exemplum, this was a peculiar favour, which we may not expect.
Solution. I reply, and why may not we know it with as full a certainty to whom God is pleased to make it known in his ordinary way? Think you his word and Spirit cannot ratify it as fully and firmly to our souls, as Nathan's discovery of it did to David's soul?
God give me but such a seal of it in his ordinary method and way of confirmation, and I will desire no more of him in this world for my relief and comfort, whatever afflictions it shall please him to lay upon me.
And thus you see all the properties of a complete remedy in the covenant, and of it every believer may say, "This is all my salvation, and all my desire, though he make not my house to grow." And now what hinders, but that all God's afflicted should say from henceforth,
"Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee," Psal. 116:7. I have all the desires of my heart in the covenant of God, though he take away the desire of mine eyes upon earth with his stroke. In this covenant my soul is at rest, and my very heart is centred. No affliction can be great enough to make the consolations of the Almighty seem small in mine eyes. Worldly