The Balm of the Covenant
MADAM, Your most Faithful Sympathizing Friend and Servant,
JOHN FLAVEL.
The Balm of the Covenant Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. - 2 SAM. 23:5
THESE are part of David's last words. The last words of dying saints, but especially of dying prophets, are ponderous, memorable, and extraordinarily remarkable; and such are these acknowledged to be, by all expositors. It is a golden sentence, a divine oracle, fit to be the last words of every dying saint, as well as of David.
They are called his last words, not simply and absolutely, as though he breathed them forth with his last breath; (for he spake many things afterwards) but either they are the last he spoke as a prophet, by Divine inspiration, or because he had them often in his mouth, to his last and dying day. They were his epicedium, his sweet swan-like song, in which his soul found singular refreshment, and strong support, amidst the manifold afflictions of his life, and against the fears of his approaching death.
The whole chapter is designed for a coronis or honourable close of the life of David, and gives us an account both of the worthy expressions that dropped from him, and of the renowned worthies
that were employed by him. But all the heroic atchievements recorded to the honour of their memories, in the following part of the chapter, are trivial and inglorious things, compared with this one divine sentence recorded in my text; in which we have two things to consider, viz.
1. The preface, which is exceeding solemn.
2. The speech itself, which is exceeding weighty.
1. In the preface, we have both the instrumental and principal efficient cause of this divine sentence distinctly set down, ver. 1 and the efficient, or author of it, ver. 2.
The instrument or organ of its conveyance to us, was David; described by his descent or lineage, the son of Jesse; by his eminent station, the man that was raised up on high; even to the top and culminating point of civil and spiritual dignity and honour, both as a king, and as a prophet; by his divine unction, the anointed of the God of Jacob; and lastly, by the flowing sweetnees of his spirit and stile, in the divine psalms that were penned by him, whence he here gets the title of the sweet psalmist of Israel; the pleasant one, in the psalms of Israel, as some read it.
The principal efficient cause of this excellent passage, is here likewise noted, and all to commend it the more to our special observation and acceptance: "The Spirit of God spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." This stamps my text expressly with divine authority. The Spirit of God spake by David, he was not the author, but only the scribe of it. Thus the ensuing discourse is prefaced. Let us next see,
2. The matter or speech itself, wherein we shall find the maxims and general rules of government prescribed, and the felicity of such a
government elegantly described. "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." Princes being in God's place, must exalt the righteousness of God, in the government of men; and when they do so, they shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, &c. What halcyon days shall that happy people see, whose lot is cast into such times and places!
All this is typically spoken of David, and those pious princes who succeeded him; but mystically and eminently points at Christ, who was to rise out of David's seed, Rom. 1:3 and to sit upon his throne,
Acts 2:30. So that in this he was raised on high to an eminency of glory and dignity indeed: he was so in his ordinary natural seed; a royal race, deriving itself from him, and sitting upon his throne in a lineal succession, till the Babylonish captivity, which was about four hundred and thirty years. And after that, the Jews had governors of his line, at least rightful heirs to that crown, till the promised
Messiah came. But that which was the top of David's honour, the most sparkling jewel in his crown, was this, that the Lord Jesus was to descend from him, according to the flesh, in whom all the glorious characters before given should not only be exactly answered, but abundantly exceeded. And thus you find the natural line of the Messiah is drawn down by Matthew, from David to the virgin Mary,
Matth. 1. And his legal line by Luke, from David to Joseph, his supposed father, Luke 2:23.
Now, though the illustrious marks and characters of such a righteous, serene, and happy government, did not fully agree to his day, nor would do so in the reigns of his ordinary natural successors, his day was not without many clouds both of sin and trouble; yet such a blessed day he foresaw and rejoiced in, when Christ, the extraordinary seed of David, should arise, and set up his kingdom in the world, and with the expectation hereof, he greatly cheers and encourages himself: Although my house be not so with God, yet hath
he made "with me an everlasting covenant," &c. In which words four things are eminently remarkable.
1. Here is a sad concession of domestic evils.
2. A singular relief, from God's covenant with him.
3. The glorious properties of this covenant displayed.
4. The high esteem and dear regard his house had unto it.
1. Here is David's sad and mournful concession of the evils of his house, both moral and penal. "Although my house be not so with God," i.e. neither so holy, nor so happy as this description of a righteous and flourishing government imports; alas! it answers not to it: For though he was eminent for godliness himself, and had solemnly dedicated his house to God, Psal. 30 as soon as it was built, yea, though he piously resolved to walk in the midst of it with a perfect heart, and not to suffer an immortal person within his walls; yet great miscarriages were found even in David's house and person, which God chastised him for, by a thick succession of sharp and sore afflictions, Psal. 101:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Tamar was defiled by her brother
Amnon, 2 Sam. 13:13. Amnon was barbarously murdered thereupon, by the advice of Absalom, 2 Sam. 13:28. Absalom unnaturally rebels against his father David, and drives him out of the royal city, and perishes in that rebellion, 2 Sam. 15:1 then Adonijah, another darling-son, grasps at the crown settled by David upon Solomon, and perishes for that his usurpation, 1 Kings 2:25. O what a heap of mischiefs and calamities did this good man live to see within his own walls, besides the many foreign troubles that came from other hands!
How many flourishing branches did God lop off from him, and that in their sins too? So that his day was a day of clouds, even from the morning unto the evening of it: Psal. 132:1. "Lord, remember David,
and all his afflictions." Well might he say, "his house was not so with God." But what then, doth he faint and despond under these manifold calamities? Doth he refuse to be comforted, because his children are gone, and all things involved in trouble? No, but you find, 2. He relieves himself by the covenant God had made with him: "Yet hath he made with me a covenant." He looks to Christ, "There is more in the covenant than this my house before God," as the Chaldee turns it*. This little word yet, wraps up a great and sovereign cordial in it. Though Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah be gone, and gone with many smarting aggravations too; "yet hath he made with me a covenant," yet I have this sheet-anchor left to secure me. God's covenant with me, in relation to Christ, this under-props and shores up my heart.
This covenant was, without controversy, a gospel-covenant. It was David's gospel: For all his salvation and all his desire were in it; which could never be, except Christ had been in it, who is the salvation of all the ends of the earth, and the desire of all nations.
It is true, it was a more obscure and imperfect edition of the covenant of faith; yet clearer than those that were made before it; it came not up to the fulness and clearness of the discoveries made by Jeremy and Ezekiel: But yet in this covenant with David, God revealed more of Christ than had been ever revealed before; for the light of Christ, like that of the morning, increased still more and more, till it came to a perfect day. It is worthy our observation, how
God made a gradual discovery of Christ from Adam, down along to the New Testament times. It was revealed to Adam, that he should be the seed of the woman, but not of what nation, till Abraham's time; nor of what tribe, till Jacob; nor of what sex and family, till David;
nor that he should be born of a virgin, till Isaiah; nor in what town, till Micah. The first revelation of this covenant with David, was by Nathan the prophet; 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 14 afterwards enlarged and confirmed, Psal. 89. By it he knew much of Christ, and wrote much of him. He spake of his person, Psalm 45:6, 11. Psalm 8:4, 5, 6. of his offices, both prophetical, Psal. 40:8, 9, 10. priestly, Psal. 110:4 and kingly, Psal. 2:6. of his incarnation, Psalm 8:5. of his death on the cross, Psal. 22:16, 17. of his burial, Psal. 16:8, 9, 10. resurrection,
Psal. 2:7 and triumphant ascension, Psalm 68:18 there was the sum of the gospel discovered, though in dark and typical terms and forms of expression; but if out of this covenant as obscure as its revelation was, David fetched such strong support and consolation amidst such a heap of troubles, then the argument is good a fortiori: What support and comfort may we not draw thence, who live under the most full and perfect display of it, in all its riches and glory; enough hath been said to prove it a gospel-covenant; but if any doubt should remain of that, it will be fully removed, by considering,
3. The eximious properties and characters of the covenant, as we find them placed in the text; and they are three, viz.
(1.) Everlasting.
(2.) Ordered in all things, and (3.) Sure.
(1.) It is an everlasting covenant, or a perpetual covenant, a covenant of eternity,* not in the most strict, proper, and absolute sense: For that is the incommunicable property of God himself, who neither hath beginning nor end; but the meaning is, that the benefits and mercies of the covenant are durable and endless to the people of God: For Christ being the principal matter and substance of the
covenant, there must be in it an everlasting righteousness, as it is called, Dan. 9:24. everlasting kindness. Isa. 54:8. everlasting forgiveness, Jer. 31:34 and in consequence to all these, everlasting consolation, Isa. 51:11 in all which the riches and bounty of free grace shine forth in their greatest glory and splendor.
(2.) It is a covenant ordered in all things, or orderly prepared, disposed, and set, as the word imports † . Every thing being here disposed and placed in the most comely order, both persons and things here keep their proper place: God the Father keeps the place of the most wise contriver and bountiful donor of the invaluable mercies of the covenant: and Christ keeps the proper place both of the purchaser and surety of the covenant; and all the mercies in it; and believers keep their place, as the unworthy receivers of all the gratuitous mercies and rich benefits thereof, and the most obliged creatures in all the world to free grace, saying, although my house, yea, although my heart and my soul be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant. And as persons, so things, all things in this covenant stand in the most exquisite order, and exact correspondence to each other. O it is a ravishing sight to behold the habitude and respect of the mercies in the covenant, to the sins and wants of all that are in it! Here are found full and suitable supplies to the wants of all God's people. Here you may see pardon in the covenant, for guilt in the soul; joy in the covenant, for sorrow in the heart; strength in the covenant, for all defects and weaknesses in the creature; stability in the covenant for the mutability in the creature.
Never did the wisdom of God shine forth more in any contrivance in the world, (except that of Christ, the surety and principal matter of the covenant) than it doth in the orderly dispose of all things in their beautiful order, and comely proportions in this covenant of grace.