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world: but if you still continue to despise and neglect such a Saviour, forerwrath is treasured up for you than other sinners, even something worse than dying without mercy, Heb. x. 28.
Othat these discoveries and overtures of Christ may never come to such a fatal issue with any of your souls, in whose eyes his glory hath been this day opened!
N L SERMON 111.
Opens the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and the Redeemer.
ISA. liii. 12. Therefore will I divide himaportionwith the great, andheshalldivide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out hisfoulunto death : and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors, and he bare the fin of many, and made interceffionfor the tranfgreffors.
INN this chapter, the gospel seems to be epitomized; the subject-matter of it is the death of Christ, and the glorious issue thereof: by reading of it, the Eunuch of old, and many
Jews since, have been converted to Christ .
Christ is here con. side red absolutely, and relatively ; Absolutely, and so his innocency is industriously vindicated, verse 9.
Though he suffered grievous things, yet not for his own fins, "for he had done no " violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth;" but relatively considered in the capacity of a surety for us : so the justice of God is as fully vindicated in his sufferings; verse 6. " The Lord
" hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all." How he came to sustain this capacity and relation of a surety for us, is in these verses plainly asserted to be by his compact and agreement with his Father , before the worlds were made, verse 10, 11 , 12.
In this verse we have, 1. His work.
2. His reward. 3. The * Norton's Orthodox Evangelist, p. 41.
The call of the Lord Jesus unto office, includes election on the Father's part, and acceptation on the Mediator's part, and is set down after the manner of mutual transactionbetweenGod and Christ ; wherebyhewasdesignedthereunto, as it were by wayofcovenant.
If his foul should set itselfanofferingfor fin, (for so, according to the original, do good authors read the text) "he shall fee his feed,prolong his days, and *" thepleasureoftheLord shall profperin his hand," verse 10.
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respect or relation of each to the other. (1.) His work, which was indeed a hard work, topourout his foul unto death, aggra. vatedby the companions, with whom, being numb red withtransgreffers ; the capacity in which, bearing all the fins of the elect,
" he bare the sins of many;" and by the manner of his bearing it, viz. meekly, and forgivingly, " he made interceffion for the " tranfgreffors ; " This was his work. (2.) The reward or fruit which is promised him for this work, " therefore will I divide
" him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with " the strong;" wherein is a plain allusion to conquerors in war, for whom are reserved the richest garments, and most honourable captives to follow the conqueror, as an addition tohismagnificenceandtriumph; these were wont to come after them in chains, Ifa. xlv. 14. seeJudgesv. 3.
(3.) The respect or relation betwixt that work and this triumph : some will have this work
✓to have no other relation to that glory, than ameer antecedent to aconsequent: others give it the respect and relation of a meritorious cause to a reward. 'Tis well observed by Dr. Featly, that the Hebrew particle which we render therefore, noting order, it is not worth so much contention about it, whether it be the order of causality, or meer antecendency ; neither do I foresee
ןבל any absurdity in calling Christ's exaltation the reward and fruit of his humiliation : however 'tis plain,whether one or other,'tis that the Fatherhereagrees and promises to give him, if he will undertake the redemption of the elect,by pouring out his soul unto death; of all which this is the plain result :
DocT. That the business of man's salvation was transacted upon covenant terms, betwixt the Father and the Son,from all eternity.
I would not here be mistaken, as though I were now to treat of the covenant of grace, made in Christ betwixt God and us ; it is not the covenant of grace, but of redemption, I am now to speak to, which differs from the covenant of grace, in regard of thefederates; in this, 'tisGod the Father, and Jesus
Christ, that mutually covenant; in that, 'tis God and man : they differ, also in thepreceptive part ; in this it is required of
Christ that he should shed his blood,in that it is required of us that we believe: They also differ in their promises ; in this,
God promises to Christ a name above every name, ample dominion from sea to sea; in that, to us, grace and glory: so that these are two distinct convenants.
The subslance of this covenant of redemption is, dialogue-
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wife, express'd to us in Ita. xlix + : where (as divineshavewell observed) Christ begins, at the first and tecond verses, and Thews his commission, telling his Father, how he had both called, and prepared him for the work of redemption; The Lord hath called me from the womb-he hath made my moutb like a Sharp Sword, and made me a polished shaft, &c. q. d. by reason of that super abundant measure of the spirit of wisdom and power wherewith I am anointed and filled; my doctrine shall, as a sword, pierce the hearts of sinners; yea, like an arrow, drawn to the head, strike deep into fouls standing at a great distance from God and godliness .
Having told God how ready, and fit he was for his service, he will know of him what reward he shall have for his work; for he resolves his blood shall not be undervalued : hereupon, verse 3. the Father offers him the elect of Israel for his reward, bidding low at first (as they that make bargains use to do) and only offers him that finall remnant, still intending to bid high. er: but Christ will not be satisfied with these, he values his blood higher than so: therefore in verse 4. he is brought in complaining, " I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength
" for nought," q. d. This is but a small reward for fo greatafufferingas I must undergo; my blood is much more worth than this comes to, and will be sufficient to redeem all the elect dispersed among the isles oftheGentiles, as well as the loft sheep of the house of Israel. Hereupon the Father comes up higher, and tells him, he intends to reward him better than fo; and therefore, verse 6. says, " It is a light thing that thou shouldst
" be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to reflore " the preserved of Israel : I will also give thee fora light to the
Gentiles, that thou mayest be my falvationto the ends of the " earth." Thus is the treaty carried on betwixt them, transactingisafter the manner of men.
Now, to open this great point, we will here confider, (1.) The persons transacting one with another.
(2.) The business transacted.
(3. ) The quality and manner of the transaction, which is federal.
(4.) The articles to which they agree (5.) How each person performs his engagement to the other. And lastly, The antiquity or eternity of this covenant-transaction .
(1.) The persons transacting and dealing with each other in this covenant; and indeed they are great persons, God the Father, and God the Son; the former as a Creditor, and the latter as a Surety : The Father stands upon satisfaction, the Son
* Vide Goodwin's Triumph of Faith.
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engages to give it.
I fit be demanded,why the Father and the Spirit might not as well have treated upon our redemption, as the FatherandSon ! It is answered, Christ is the natural Son of God, and therefore fittest to make us the adopted sons of God.
Christ also is the middle person in the trinity, and therefore fittest to be the mediator and middle person betwixt us and God *.
The Spirit hath another office assigned him, even to apply, as Christ's vicegerent, the redemption designed by the Father, and purchased by the Son for us.
(2.) The business transactedbetwixt them; and that was the redemption and recovery of all God's elect : our eternal happiness lay now before them, our dearest and everlasting concerns were now in their hands ; the elect (though not yet in being) are here considered as existent, yea, and as fallen, miserable, forlorn creatures
: How these may again be restored to happiness (falvajuftitia Dei) Without prejudice to the honour, justice, and truth of God; this, this is the business that lay before them.
(3.) For the manner, or quality of the transaction, it was federal, or of the nature of a covenant; it was by mutual engagements and stipulations, eachpersonundertaking to perform his part, in order to our recovery.
We findeachperfon undertaking for himself by solemn promise; the Father promiseth that he will " hold his hand, and " keep him," Ifa. xlii . 6. The Son promiseth he will obey his
Father's call to suffering, and " not be rebellious," Isa. 1. 5.And, having promised, each holds the other to his engagement. The Father stands upon the satisfaction promised him : and,when the payment was making, he will notabate him one farthing; Rom. viii. 32. "God spared not his own Son," i. e, he abated nothing of the full price he was to have at his hands for us.
And, as the Father stood strictly upon the terms of the covenant, so did Christ also ; John xvii. 45. " I have glorified thee
* Vide Robert's Medulla Bib. p. 1577, et Lyf. Test. p. 83 , 84.
+ The external cause of that satisfaction, which the Father decreed, and the Son made,was the miserable state we were in, upon the account of our fins, which justly deserved eternal punishment, and bound us over unto it ; we being in this forlorn condition, the God of mercy had compassion on us, and for our fakes, the Son of God underwent all that punishment which we deserved to suffer ; in order that we might be restored to our first happiness.
Synop. purior. Theol. p. 350.
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on earth, (faith he to the Father) I have finished the work
" thou gavest me to do; and now, Father, glorify me with " thine own self:" As if he had said, Father, the work is done, nowwhere is the wages I was promised ? I call for glory as my due, as much my due as the hire of the laboureris his due, when his work is done.
4. More particularly; we will next confider the articles to which they do both agree ; or, what it is that each person doth for himself promise to the other. And, to let us fee how much the Father'she art is engaged in the salvation of poor sinners, there are five things which he promiseth to do for Christ, if he will undertake that work.
First, He promiseth to invest him, and anoint him to a threefoldoffice, answerable to the misery that lay upon the elect, as so many bars to all communion with, and enjoyment of God; for, i fever man be restored to that happiness, the blindness of his mind must be cured, the guilt of fin expiated, and his captivity to fin led captive : answerably, Christ must,
" of God, be made unto us,wisdom,righteousness, fanctificati.
" on and redemption," 1 Cor. i.30.And he is made to to us as our Prophet, priest, and king: but he could not put himself into either of these ; for if fo, he had acted withoutcommissi. on, and consequently all he didhadbeen invailed ; Heb. v. 5.
" Christ glorified not himself to be made a High Priest, but he " that faiduntohim, Thou art my Son."
A commission there. fore to act authoritatively, intheseoffices,being necessary to our recovery, the Father engages to him tofeal him fuchathreefold commission.
He promiseth to invest him with an eternal and royal priesthood, Psal.cx. 4. " The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent;
" Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchifedec."
This Melchifedec being king of Righteousness, and king ofSalem, that is, Peace, had a royal priesthood; and his descent not being reckoned, it had an adumbration of eternity in it, andfo was more apt to type and shadow forth the priestood of Christ thanAaron's was, Heb. vii. 16, 17, 24, 25. as the apostle accommodates them there.
He promifethmoreover to make him a Prophet, and that an extraordinary one, even the prince of prophets ; the chief shepherd, as much superior to all others, as the fun is to the lesser stars ; so you have it, Isa. xlii. 6, 7. " I will give thee for a light
66 to theGentiles, to open the blind eyes," &c.
And not only so, but to make him king also, and that of the whole empire of the world;foPfalm. ii. 6, 7, 8. " Ask of me,
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" andIwillgive thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the " utmost ends of the earth for thy possession." Thus he promiseth to qualify and furnish him completely for the work, by his investiture with this threefold office.
Secondly, And forasmuch as he knew it was a hard and difficult work his Son was to undertake, a work that would have brokenthebacks of all the angels in heaven, and men on earth, hadtheyengagedinit; therefore he promiseth to standby him, and assist and strengthen him for it: so, Ifa. xlii. 5, 6, 7. " I " will hold thy hand," or take hold of thee with my hand, for so it maybe rendered † (i. e.) I will underprop and support thy humanity, when 'tis even over weighted with the burden that is to comeuponit, and ready to fink down under it; for so you know the case stood with him, Mark xiv. 34. and so it was fore told of him, Ifa. liii. 7."He was oppressed," &c. and indeed the humanity needed a prop of no less strength than the infinite poweroftheGodhead: the fame promise you have in the first verse also," Behold my fervantwhom I uphold."
Thirdly, He promiseth to crown his work with success, and bring it to an happy issue, Ifa. liii. 10. " He shall see his feed,
" he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall " prosper in his hand." He shall not begin, and not finish ; he shall not shed his unvaluableblooduponhazardous terms ; but shall fee and reap the sweet fruits thereof: As the joyful mother forgets her pangs, when she delightfully embraces and kisses her living child.
Fourthly, The Father promiseth to accept him in his work, tho' millions should eternally perish, Ifa.xlix. 4. Surely (faith he) my work is with the Lord."
And verse 5. " I shall beglo.
" rious in the eyes of the Lord."
His faith had therein respect to this compact and promise. Accordingly,the Father manifests the satisfaction he had in him, and in his work, even while he was about it upon the earth, when there came such a " voice
" from the excellent glory, saying, This is my beloved Son, in " whom I am well pleased.
Fifthly,As he engaged to reward him highly for his work, by exaltinghim to singular and super-eminent glory and honour, when he should have dispatched and finished it.
So you read, Psal. ii. 7. " I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto H 2 + I, whose power is boundless and infinite, will so befriend and support thee, that all thy enemies shall not be able to hurt thee.
Marlor, on this place.
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The Fountain of Life. me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."
'Tis spoken of the day of his resurrection, when he had just finished his suffering. And so the apostle expounds and applies it, Acts xiii . 32 , 33. For then did the Lord wipe away the reproach of his cross, and invested him with such glory, that he looked like himself again.
As if the Father had said, Now thou hast again recovered thy glory, and this day is to thee as a new birth-day.
These are the encouragements and rewards proposed, and promised to him by the Father.
This was the " joy set before " him," (as the apostle phraseth it inHeb. xii. 2. ), which made him so patiently to " endure the cross, and despise the shame."
And in like manner, Jesus Christ restipulates, and gives his engagement to the Father; that, upon these terms, he is content to be made flesh, todivest, as it were,himself of his glory, to come under the obedience and malediction of the law, and not to refuse any, the hardest sufferings it should please his Father to inflict on him. So much is implied in Isa. 1. 5, 6, 7. " The Lord
" hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned " away back ; I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to " them that pulled off the hair; Ihidnotmyfacefromshame and " spitting: For the Lord God will help me,therefore shall I not " be confounded;Ihavesetmyface as a flint, and I know that I " shall not be ashamed."
When he faith, I was not rebellious, וירמ he meaneth, I was most heartily willing, and content to accept the terms ; for there is a Meiosis in the words, and much more is intended than expressed. And the sense of this place is well delivered to us in other terms, Píal. xl . 6, 7, 8, 9,
10. " Then said I, lo I come, I delight to do thy will, OGod, " thy law is within my heart." O fee with what a full consent the heart of Christ closeth with the Father's offers and proposals; like some echo, that answersyourvoice twice or thrice over.
So doth Christ here answer his Father's call, " I come, I delight to do thy will ; yea, thy law is in my heart. " And thus you see the articles to which they both subscribed, or the terms they agreed on.
(5.) I will briefly shewhow these articles, and agreements wereonboth parts, performed, and that precisely and punctually.
For, ( 1.) the Son having thus consented, accordingly he applies himself to the discharge of his work. He took a body, in it fulfilled all righteousness, even a title, Matth. iii. 15. And at last his soul was made an offering for fin, so that he could say as it is, John xvii. 4. " Father, I have glorified thee on earth, I " have finished the work thou gavest me to do. "
He went throughalltheparts of his active, andpaffiveobedience, chear-
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fullyandfaithfully. (2.) The Fathermadegoodhis engagements to Christ, all along, with no less faithfulness than Christ did his.
He promised to assist, and hold his hand, and so he did ; Luke xxii. 23. "And there appeared to him an angel from heaven,
" strengthning him. "
That was one of the forest brunts that ever Christ met with ; this was seasonable aid and fuccour.
He promised to accept him in his work, and that he should be glorious in his eyes; fo he did: For he not only declared it by a voice from heaven, Luke iii. 22. " Thou art my beloved Son,
" in whom I am well pleased :" But it was fully declared in his resurrection and ascension, which were a full discharge and justification of him. He promised him that "he should see his
" feed," and so he did; for his very birth-dew was as the dew of the morning; and ever since his blood hath been fruitful in the world.
He promised gloriously to reward and exalt him ; and fo he hath, Phil. ii. 9, 10, 11. and that highly and super eminently, " giving him a name above every name in heaven and " earth."
Thus were the articles performed.
(6.) Lastly, When was this compact made betwixt the Father and the Son ? I answer, it bearsdatefrom eternity *.
Before this world was made, then were his delights in us, while as yet we had no existence, but only in the infinite mind and purpose of God, who had decreed this for us in Christ Jesus, as the apostle speaks, 2 Tim. i. 9.
What grace was that which was given us in Christ before the world began,but this grace of redemption, which was from everlasting thus contrived and designed for us, in that way which hath been here opened ? Then was the council, or consultation of peace betwixt them both, as some take that scripture, Zech. vi. 13 .
Next let us apply it to ourselves.
Use 1. The first use that offers itself to us from hence, is the abundant security that Godhathgiven the elect for their salvation, and that not only in respect of the covenant ofgracemade with them, but also of this covenant of redemption made with Christ for them ; which indeed is the foundation of the covenant of grace. God's single promise is security enough to our faith, his covenant of grace adds, ex abundant i, farther security ; but both these viewed as the effects and fruits of this covenant of redemption,make all fast and sure. In the covenant of grace, we
* Antequamab omnibus retro feculis tempora fluere inciperent, decrevit Deushanc nobis falutis gratiam per Chriftum conferre : i. e. From all eternity,God decreed to bestow on us the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
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question not the performance on God'spart, but we are often stumbled at the grand defects on our parts: But when we look to the covenant of redemption, there's nothing to stagger our faith, both the federates being infinitely able and faithful to perform their parts; so that there is no possibility of a failure there.
Happy were it, if puzzled and perplexed Christians would turn their eyes from the defects that are in their obedience, to the fulness and compleatness of Christ's obedience ; and fee themselves compleat in him, when most lame and defective in themselves .
2. Hence also be informed, that God the Father, and God the Son, do mutually rely and trust to one another in the business of our redemption.
The Father relies upon the Son for the performance of his part; as it is, Isa. xlii. 1. " Behold my
" servant, whom I uphold."
+ Montanus turns it, on whom I leanordepend. As if the Father had said,behold what a faithful servant I have chosen, in whom my soul is at rest : I know he will go through with his work, I can depend upon him.
And, to speak plain, the Father so far trusted Christ, that upon the credit of his promise to come into the world, and in the fulness of time to become a sacrifice for the elect, he saved all the Old Testament saints, whose faith also respected a Christ to come;withreferencewhereto,it is said,Heb.xi.'39, 40. " That - " theyreceivednotthepromise,God having provided some better
"things for us,thattheywithoutusshouldnotbemade perfect," i. e. without Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh, in our times ; tho' believed on, as to come in the flesh, in their times.
And as the Father trusted Christ, so doth Christ, in like manner, depend upon, and trust his Father.
For, having performed his part, and left the world again,he now trusteth his Father for theaccomplishmentofthatpromise made him. Isa. liii. 10." That "he shall see his feed," &c.
He depends upon his Father for all the elect that are left behind, yet unregenerated, as well as those already called, that they shall be all preserved unto the heavenly kingdom, according to that, Johnxvii. 11. " And now
" I am no more in the world,but these are in the world: and I " come unto thee : holy Father, keep, through thine own name,
" those whom thou hast given me."
And can it be imagined, that the Father will fail his trust, who every way acquittedhimselfso punctually to the Son ? It cannot be.
Use 3. Moreover, hence we infer the validity and unquestionablefuccess of Christ's intercession in heaven for believers.
You וב דמתא * ]Athemoch beu] Innitar in eo.
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The Fountain of Life. read, Heb. vii. 25. "That heever lives to make interceffion;" and, Heb. xii. 24. "That his blood speaks forgoodthings for " them." Now, that his blood shall obtain what it pleads in heaven for, is undoubted, and that from the consideration this covenantofredemption.
For here you fee that the things he nowafks of his Father, are the very fame which his Father promised him, and covenanted to give him, before this world was : So that, besides the interest of the person, the very equity of the matter speaks its success, and requires performance :
Whatever he asks for us, is as due to him as the wages of the of hireling, when the work is ended; if the work be done, and done faithfully, as the Father hath acknowledged it is, then the reward is due, and due immediately:'and no doubt but he shall receive it from the hands ofa righteous God.
Use 4. Hence, in like manner, you may be informed of the consistency of grace with full satisfaction to the justice of God.
The apostle, 2 Tim. i. 9. tells us, " We are favedaccording to " his own purpose and grace,whichwasgivenus in Jesus Christ
" before the world began." That is, according to the gracious terms of this covenant of redemption ; and yet you fee notwithstanding, how strictly God stands upon satisfaction from Christ: so then, grace to us, and satisfaction to justice, are not soinconfiftent as the Socinian adversaries wouldmakethem; what was debt to Christ, is grace to us: when you hear men eryout, Here's grace indeed ! pay me all, and I will forgive you ; remember, how all mouths, are stoptwith that one text, Rom . iii. 24. " Being justified freely by his grace;" and yet he adds, through the redemption that is in Christ."
Use 5. Again, Hence judge of the antiquity of the love of God to believers : what an antient friend he hath been to us ; who loved us, provided for us, and contrived all our happiness, before we were, yea, before the world was. We reapthe fruits of this covenant now, the feedwhereofwas sown from eternity ; yea, it isnotonlyancient,but also most free : no excellencies of ours couldengagethe love of God; for as yet we were not.
Use 6. Judge hence, How reasonable it is that believers should embrace the hardest terms of obedience unto Christ, who complien withfuch hard terms for theirfalvation : they were hard and difficult terms indeed, on which Christ received you from the Father's hand ; it was, as you have heard, to pour out his foul unto death, or not to enjoy a foul of you.
Here you may suppose the Father to say, when driving this bargain with Christ for you :
Father, My Son, here is a company of poor miferablefouls,
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that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done for these fouls ? And thus Christ returns .
Son . O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their surety: bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring them in all, that there may be no after-reckonings with them; at my hand shalt thou require it.
I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it: upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.
Father. But, iny Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no abatements ; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.
Son. Content, Father, let it be so: charge it all upon me, I am able to discharge it; and though it prove a kind of undoing tome, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, (for fo indeed it did, 2 Cor . viii . 9. " Though he was
" rich, yet for our fakes became poor") yet I am content to undertake it.
Blush, ungrateful believers, O let shame cover your faces : judge in yourselves now, hath Christ deserved that you should stand with him for trifles, that you should thrink at a few petty difficulties, and complain, this is hard, and that is harsh ? O if you knew the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in this his wonderful condescension for you, you could not do it.
Use 7. Lastly, How greatly are we all concerned to make it sure to ourselves, that we are of this number which the Father and the Son agreed for before the world was ; that we were comprehendedin Christ's engagement and compact with the Father?
Ohj. Yea, but you will say, who can know that ? there were no witnesses to that agreement.
Sol. Yes .
We may know, without ascending into heaven, or prying into unrevealed secrets, that our names were in that covenant, if ( 1.) You are believers indeed; for allfuch the Father thengaveto Christ, John xvii. 8. " The men that thou
" gavest me (for of them he spake immediately before) they " have believed that thou didst send me."
(2.) If you favingly know God in Jesus Christ, such were given him by the Father, John xvii. 6. " I have manifested thy name unto the men thou
" gavest me." By this they aredifcriminated from the rest, verse 25. " The world hath not known thee, but these have known," c.
(3.) If you are men and women of another world ; John xvii. 16. "They are not of the world, as I am not of the world."