f I <" M ffc U [- - v-t Jo / vv V I E W O F T H E Covenant of Grace FROM THE SACRED RECORDS' WHEREIN The Parties in that COVENANT, , the M a k i n g of it, its P a r t s Conditio- nary and PromiJ}bry % and the Admini- stration thereof, are diftin&ly con- fidered : Together with The Tr i a l of a faving Perfonal Inbeing in it, and the WayoFEnjtating Sinners therein unto their Eternal Salvation. To which is fubjoyn'd, A MEMORIAL concerning Perfonal and Family Facing and Humiliation, prefented to Saints and Sinners. % the late Reverend and Learn d Mr. Thomas Boston Minifter of the Gofpel at Etrick. Edinburgh; Printed by R. Fleming and CoxM pant, and fold at the Shops of Mr. James Davidson and John Paton Bookfellers, Mdccxxxiv. Advertijement. TH I S Treatife and the £Mt- mortal adjoin'd, being pofl- humous Works of my Father's, I thought it^neceffary to teftify to the World, that they are publifhed as he left them, being printed from his own Q^dantAJcript, prepared for the Prefs, without any Addition or Alteration whatfoever. Thomas Boston* Wr^iWM [&4$ THE CONTENTS. Page T ] HE Introduction and general Scheme i Head I, The Parties in the Covenant of Grace. Page I. /^OD the Party-contrafier on Heaven's Side i $ ^^ Conjidered in a Threefold View 1 5 II. The Lord Jefus Chrift the P arty contr after on Man's Side 17 ffhe Covenant of Grace made 'with Chrift, as the laft Adam, Head and Reprefentative of bis fpiritual Seed, Evinced from five Confiderations 1 9 Five Keafons why 'twas fo made 25 Inferences 3 o III. ihe Party-contracted and undertaken for 3 5 ihe Elect were the Party reprefented and ton- tracJedfor in the Covenant Pour Proofs of it 3d Three JVays they're viewed in this Cove* toant-reprejentation 40 a iri- The Contents. Page Inferences 42, Objed. I fear Vm none of thefe whom Chrift re- prefented in the Covenant, how then can I take hold of it by believing ? Anfwer 45 Queft. Are there no Marks } whereby a Sinner may know himfelf to be one of thefe, who were reprefented by Chrift in the fecond Covenant ? Anfw. 46 Head II. The Making of the Covenant of Grace, JJO IV Chrift the Son of God became the fecond •° Adam? 51 How the Covenant was made with Chrift as the fecond Adam ? 55 Chrift giving his Confent to the Covenant, took upon him a Threefold CharaBer. I. ihe Kinfman Redeemer in the Covenant 57 Performamces of the Kinfman-Redeemer four S9. II. The Surety of the Covenant 6$ v - For whom Chrift became Surety ? ib. Tor what he became Surety 6j Whether or not Chrift' s Suretifhip is alfo of the Nature 0/ Suretifhip for one's performing of a Deed ? 77 III. The Prieft of the Covenant Si £he Necejfity of this proved 8 2 l Inferences ) 87 HEAD The Contents. Head III. The Parts of the Covenant of Grace. Page I. THE conditionary Part of the Covenant 95 Condition, the Word explained ib. Chrtft's Righteoufnefs, the Condition of the Covenant 97 Proved by five Arguments ib. Cafe, How Jh all I know that Chrift's Righte- oufnefs is indeed mine in Pcffefeion ? Anfwered 104 Chrift's Righteoufnefs conffis of three Parts 106 Holinefs of Nature ib. Righteoufnefs of Life 109 Satisfaction for Sin 115 Inferences 124 Of Perfons that have Clmfl's Righteouf- nefs imputed to them, three Characters 129 II. The promiffory Part of the Covenant. Importance of the promiflory Part of the Covenant cleared by feven Confederations 138 Two general Kinds of Premifes 142 ST<9 whom were they made ? 143 Inferences 147 Promifes peculiar to Chrift 1 5 5 Aflilrance ib. Acceptance ib. Reward i)5 Promife 0/ Eternal Life to the Eleff 15S More generally considered 160 .Mor* particularly in three Periods 163 j. ik/i/n? ffo/r t/wo/i wjW C&njfl ib. a * Frs- The Contents. m Page Promije of Prefervation 164 Prom ij e of the Spirit 16 J 2. From their Union with Chrifl until Death 172 Prom ife 0/ Juftincation 173 Anew and javing Covenant-gelation ft? God 177 Sand ificat ion 18 a Perfeverance 209 Temporal Benefits 215 3. From Death thro* Eternity. Prom ife of Victory over Death 222 — -Everlafting Lite in Heaven 225 Inference 23 2 No proper Penalty of the Covenant of Grace 234 Head IV. The Adminiffir ation of the Co- venant of Grace. QHKIST the Adminiftrator of the Covenant 237 Sinners of Mankind the Objed of the Ad- miniftration of the Covenant 245 Confirmed by five Arguments ib. Ends of the Adminiftration of the Covenant 250 The bringing of Sinners into the Covenant ib. The Management of them therein 251 The com plea ting of their Happinefs 252 The Nature of the Adminiftration of the Covenant 255 The Relations Chrifl hath to the Covenant as the Adminiftrator thereof ib. I. The Truftee of the Covenant in nine Particulars 25 6 II. The Teftator of the Covenant, and here are open'd 264 Zie making of the TQDamcnt • 265 IVho The Contents. Page Who are the Legatees ? ij$ Who is the Executor of the .: CjRACE,. &C ! Psalm Ixxxix. 3. I' have made a Covenant with my Chofen 1 Cor. xv. 45. Thelafi A&am was made a quichiing Spirit. S Man's Ruin was originally owing to the Breaking of the Covenant of fforks, fo his Recovery, from ths firft to the laft Step thereof, is owing purely to the Fulfilling of the Cove.- nant of Grace $ which Covenant, be- ing that wherein the whole Myftery of our Salva- tion lies, I am to effay the Opening of, as the Lord fhall be pieafed to aflift. And there is the more Need of humble Dependance on the Father of Rights, tiiiougb-Jefus Chiift his Sw> for the Mant- A kilatioa i A View of the feftation of his Spirit in this Matter ; that, where- as the fir (t Covenant is known, in Part, by the Light of Nature, the Knowledge of this Second is owing entirely to Revelation. "Twas from this Covenant, the Pfalmift, in the Verfe immediately preceeding the firfl Text, took a comrortable View of a glorious Building, infallibly going up in the midfl: of Ruins ,• even' a Building of Mercy: For 1 have [aid, Mercy Jh all he built up for ever; the Ground of which confident Affertion is, in our Text, pointed out to be God's Covenant with his Chofen. From the type of the Covenant of Grace, namely, the Covenant of Royalty made with David, he faw a building up of Mercy for the royal Family of Judah, when they, were brought *" exceeding low. From the Subftance of it, he faw a Building of Mercy for Sinners of Mankind, who were laid in Ruins by the Breach of the fir ft Cove- nant. This is that new Building, free Grace fet on Foot for us; into which they that believe are, in- ftantly thereupon, received, and where, once re- ceived, they fhall dwell for ever : A Building of Mercy, in which every Stone, from the Bottom to the Top, from the Foundation-done to the Copc- ftone, is pure Mercy, rich and free Mercy to us. Of this Building- of Mercy, I fhall drop a few Words. And (i.) The Plan of it was drawn, from all Eternity, in the Council of the Trinity : For it is, according to the eternal Purpofe pur pb fed in Jefus Chrift, Eph. iii. n. The Objects of Mercy, the Stime and Place, the Way and Means, of conferring it on them, were deiign'd particularly, before Man was miferable, yea before he was at all. (2.) The Builder is God himfelf, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, Covenant of Grace. j Ghoil, i Cor. hi p. Te are God's building. All Hands of the glorious Trinity arc at Work \v\ ti is Building : The Father cbofe the Odj us < r Mercy, and gays them to the Son to be redet med ; die Son furcbajed Redemption tor them ; and the Holy Gnoft applies the pirchafed Redemption, unto them : Bu.- it is fpecially attribute* to the Son, on the Account. o' r his Angular Agency in the Work, Zecb. vi. 12. Be bold tbe Man wboje Name is tbe Branch— -He /hall build tbe Temple of tbe Lord: vcr. 13. Even He /hall build tbe Temple of tbe Lord, and He Jhatt bear tbe Glory. (3.) T .e Foundation was laid deep, in the eternal Counfel ; beyond the Reach of the Eyes of Men or Angels. Paul confidering it, cries out. O tbe Deptb ! konv ii. 33. For who batb known tbe Mind of tbe Lord, crwbobatb been bis Conn feller ? ver. 34. (4.) 'Tis mere than Five thoufand Years, lince this Building rofe above Ground. And the fi ft Stone of it, that appeared, was a Promi/e, a Promile of a Saviour, made in Paradife, after the Fall, Gen. iii. 15, name- ly, ;hat the Seed of tbe Woman fhould bruije tbe Head of the Serpent. Here vjzs Mercy. And Mer- cy was laid upon Mercy : Upon promifing Mercy v^as kid quickning Mercy, whereby our loft flrft Parents were enabled to believe the Promife : And upon q'.iickning Mercy was laid pardoning Mercy to them -, and upon that again, fanBfying and eftablifb'wg Mercy, and at length glorifxihg M^rcy. (5.) The Cement is Blood; the Bi Jcfus Chrift the Mediator, wnicu is the Blood of God, Ads xx. 28. No faving Mercy tor Sinners could cou/i(l> nor could one Mercy iy j&rw upon another, in the Buying, without being Cemented wi;h that precious Blood ; But by it, the whole Building A 2 confills, 4 A View of the coniifts, and (lands firm forever. Heb. ix. 22, 25. and vi'fi 24, 25. (6.) Ever fince the Time it ap- peared above Ground, ic has been going on. And many Hands have been imploy'd, to ierve in car- vying on the Work : In the rirft Ages of the World, Patriarchs were imploy'd in it, fuch as Adam, Enoch, and Ncab ; in the middle Ages, Prophets, Priefts, and Levites : In thefe the laft Ages, the Apoftles, and other extraordinary Officers, and pHfcinary MMften of the Gofpel. Great has been the Opposition made to the Building, from the Be- g'ining, by Satan and his Agents ; both in the Way of Violence and Deceit : Yet has it all alcng been going on itill. And now 'tis come far above Mid- height; 'tis drawing towards the Top, and the Time when the laft Stone fhali be laid thereon : For 'tis evident, we are far advanced in the Days of the Voice of the feventh Angel, wherein the My fiery of God is to bzfinijhed, Rev. x. 7. (7.) The Cope- fione will be laid on it, at the laft Day ; at what Time the Promii; > will receive its full Accomplifh- ment, in the compkat Salvation of all the Objects of Mercy, then to be advanced unto the Me afar e of the Stature of the Fulnefs of Chrift, Eph. iv. 13. In that Day, our Lord Jefus Chrift, the great Builder, Jhall bring forth the He ad -ft one thereof with Shoutings, even the laft and crowning Mercy, fay- ing, Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the King- dom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. And then mall they dwell in the Building of Mercy perfected, zndjiug of Mercies, for ever and ever. Laftly, The Foundation on which it ftands, iszfirm one. 'Tis neceflary, that it be fo: For a Building of Mercy to Sinners, from a holy juft God, is a Building of huge. Weight,; more weighty Covenant of Grace. 5 weighty than the whole Fabrick of Heaven and Earth : And if it fhould fall, ail is ruined a fecond Time, without any more Hope of Relief. Bur, it is a lure Foundation, being God's everb.fting Co- venant ; J have made a Covenant with my Chojen. In which Words, together with the fecond Text, there are four Things to be confide red. I. The Foundation, on which the Building of Mercy flands ; to wit, A Covenant. II. The Parties Con- tracJers in that Covenant. III. The making o{ ir. And IV. The Nature of it. I. The Foundation .on which the Building of Mercy (lands, is a Covenant, & Divine Covenant, a fare one. The firft Building for Man's Happincfs, was a Building oi Bounty and Goodnefs ; but not of Mercy : For, Man was not in Mifery when it was a rearing up. And it was founded on a Covenant to^ ; namely, on the Covenant of Works, made with the firft Adam : But he broke the Covenant, and the whole Building tumbled down in an In- ftant. But this is another Covenant, and of another Nature. In the Type indeed, and Shadow, 'tis the Covenant of Royalty with David, 2 Sam. \ ii. 11, — 17; which was a Foundation of Mercy to his Family, fecuring the Continuance or it, and that as a royal Family. Howbeit, in the Antitype and Truth, 'tis the Covenant of Grace, the Cove- nant of. eternal Life and Salvation to Sinners, the -fpiritual Seed of the Head thereof, to be given them in the Way of free Grace and Mercy, Pfal. texix. 2, 4, 29, 16 : And in which they are freed from the Curfe, fo that it cannot reach them, notwith- ftanding of their Failures ; but the Lord deals with rhem, as his Children ftill, tho' offending Children, wr. 30, — 33 ; And all, by the Means of Jefus A 3 Chrift 6 A View of the Chrift the Saviour, the mighty One, vet. lg. This is the Foundation of the whole Building of Mercy to Sinners, in their low Eftate, into which they were brought by Adam's Fail. The Revelation, Promulgation, and Offer made unto the S^ns of Men, of this Covenant which lay hid in the Depths of the eternal Counfel, is called the Go/pel ; the glad Tidings of a new Covenant, for Life and Salvation to Sinners. II. The Parties Contrafiers in this Covenant, are God and his cbofen, the loft Adam : For 'tis evi- dent, from the Nature of the Things here fpoken vet. 3, 4, and from 2 Sam, vii. 8. that thefe Words, / have made a Covenant with my chofen, are the Lord's own Words. Both Heaven and Earth were concerned in this Covenant j for ir was a Co- verfant of Peace between them : And accordingly, the Interefts of both are ieen to, by the Parties Contra&ers. (1.) On Heaven's Side is God him- felf, the Party Propojer of the Covenant ; / have made a Covenant with my Chofen. He was the offended Party : Yet the Motion for a Covenant of Peace, comes from him ; a certain Indication of the Good- will of the whole glorious Trinity, to- wards the Recovery of loft Sinners. The God and Father 0$. our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of Mer- cies, beholding a loft World ; his Mercy feeks a Vent, that it may be fhown to the miferable : But Jullice {lands in the Way oi the Egrefs and Build- ing of Mercy ; without therr be a Covenant, where- by it may be fatisfied. Then faith the Fat bet, The flrft Covenant will not ferve the Purpofe of Mercy ; there mull be a new Bargain : But the loft Creatures hare nothing left, to contract for them- khes'i imiefs another take the Burden upon him, for Covenant of Grace. y for them, there's no Remedy in the Cafe : They cannot choofe fuch an one for themfelves ; Til make a Cooke for them, and make the Covenant with my Cbofen. (2.) On Man's Side then is God's Cbofen, or ch$fen One, for the Word is Angular. This cbefen One, in the Type, the Covenant of Royalty, is David , but in the Antitype, the Co- venant of Grace, 'tis the Son of God, the laft Adam, even Chrift tbe Cbofen of God, Luke xxiii. 35. The Truth is, fuch great Things are faid of the Party with whom this Covenant was made, of his Seed, and of the Efficacy of this Covenant, as can fully agree to none, but Chrift and his fpiritual Seed y ver. 4, 27, 20, 36, 37. The royal Family of Judab, the Houfe of David, never recovered their ancient Splendor, after the Babylonijh Capti- vity; with a View to which Time, this Pfalm feems to have been penned : Their Kingdom is ex- tinct many Ages ago ; and the Grandeur of that Family, according the Flefh, is quite funk. But the Promife made to David, in the Covenant of Royalty, ftill flouriflieth, and will flourifli for ever, in Jefus Chrift the Top-branch of the Family of David. How then can it be, but that, in the per- petual Building of Mercy, mentioned ver. 2, and the eftablijhing of David's Seed, and building tip his throne to all Generations, ver. 4. Chrift himfelf is chiefly aimed at ? And indeed, he only was the mighty one, fie for the yaft Undertaking in this Covenant, ver. 19 : And him the Father points out to us, as his Elecl or cbofen One Ifa. xlii. 1. III. As to the making of. this Covenant, between the contracting Parties ; the Father made it with his own Son, I have made a Covenant with my Cbofen : And that, kefore the World began. Tit. i. 2. By A 4 their 8 A View of the their mutual Agreement thereto, this Covenant was compleatly made, from Eternity; even as the Co- venant of Works, with the fir & Adam, was, before we were in Being. The original Text calls it cut- ting off a Covenant ; which Phrafe is taken from thac ancient Ufage of catting off a. Bead, by cutting tt a [under, at the making o\ a Covenant, Jer. xxxiv. . 1 8. Ic intimates this Covenant to be a Covenant by Sacrifice ; wherein the Party-cohtra&er on Man's Side was the Sacrifice, and Divine Juftice the Sword that cut it a f under ^ according to Zech. xiii. 7. ■Awake, O Sword, again ft my Shepherd, and again ft the Man that is my Fellow, faith the Lord of Hofts : Smite the Shepherd. And withal, it imports the Inviolablenefs and Perpetuity of the Covenant made ; no more, for ever, to be di(folved, than the Parts of the Beaft cut off, one from the other, to be joined again as formerly. IV. For the Nature of this Covenant j there are five Things belonging thereto, that appear from the , Texts : Namely (1.) The Being or a Reprefenta- tion in it ; (2.) The Defign, for which it was let on Foot ; (3-.) That there are in it a Condition, and (4.) A Promt fe ; And (y) Into whofe Hands the Ad mini ft rat ion of it is put. 1. There is a Reprefentation taking Place in this Covenant. As it was in the firft- Covenant, fo ic was like wife in the fecond ; the Party-contra&er and Undertaker on Man's Side, was a Reprefenta- * five, representing and fuftaining the Perfons of others. This appears, in that the chofen One, with whom the Covenant was made, is called the laft Adam. For 'tis plain, he is (o called in Relation to the fir ft Adam, who was the Figure (or tfype ) of him % Rom. v. 14 : Namely, m char, likeas the fir ft- Adam repre- Covenant of Grace. 9 reprekhting his Seed, in the Covenant of Works, bftto'ghc Sin and Death on them; fo he reprefent- nig his, brings Righteoufnefs and Life to them ; as the Apoflle teacheth at large in that Chap- ter. 1. The Dejtgn of this Covenant, was Life, the mod valuable lntereft of" Mankind, ^tbe laft Adam was made a qitickning Sprit, to wit, to give Lire to his Seed. So it is a Covenant of Life, as the Covenant of Levi, a Type thereof, is exprefly called, Mai. ii. 5. The firft Covenant was a Covenant of Li.e too: But there is this Difference, to wit, that the Firft was for Life in Perfection to upright Man having Life before ; the Second, for Life in Per- fection to finful Man legally and morally dead. The Parties contra&ed for, in this fecond Covenant, were considered as under the Bands of Death, abfo- lutely void of Life ; and therefore utterly incapable to act for helping themfelves. They lay like dry B Mies, icattersd about the Grave's Mouth, before the Parties- contracters ; Juftice forbidding to give them Life, but upon Terms confident with and be- coming its Honour. $\ The Condition of the Covenant, the Terms of that Life, agreed to by the Representative, is im- plied in that he was the laft Adam, namely, to go thorough with what the firft Adam had {fuck in. Adain, in the Covenant of Work% {tumbled in the Gouffe of his Obedience, and fell ; and by his Fall was quice difabled to begin it anew : He thereby came under the Penalty of that Covenant alfo, but \v?s utterly unable to cifcharge it. So the laft Adam comes in the Room of the Firft, not as the 'firft Adam ftood in his Integrity \ for in that Cafe, - there was no Place for a fecond Adam: But, as he lay lo A View of the lay a broken Man under the firft. Bargain. And coming in his Room, in this Cafe; his Bufinefs was, to fatisfy the Demands of the firft Covenant, in behalf of his Seed. Thefe Demands were now run up high, quite beyond what they were to inno- cent Adam : The Penalty was become payable, as well as the principal Sum. Wherefore, the firft Covenant being ingrofs'd in the fecond, is declared broken; and the Principal and Penalty being fum'd up together, the Clearing of the whole is laid upon the lafi or fecond Adam, as the Condition of the fecond Covenant. 4. The Promife of the Covenant, to be, upon that Condition, perfotm'd by the Party- contra&er on Heaven's Side, is imply 'd in thefe Words, / have made a Covenant with (in the Original, £0) my Chofen. That is, " I have made a Covenant, Compare the following Claufe, J have [worn unto David my Servant. The Nature of this Promife will be enquired into, in the due Place. Lafily, The Adminifiration of this Covenant, is put into the Hands of the Party-contra&er on Man's Side ; Z*be lafi Adam was made a quickning Spirit. Each of the contracting Parties being God, it was not poffible, that either Party fhould fail ; or that the lafi Adam fhould break, as the firft had done. Wherefore, the Time of Chrift's fulfilling of the Condition of the Covenant, being prefixt by the Father; God took Chrift's fingle Bond, for fufficient Security, and thereupon conftitute him Adminiftrator of the Covenant. Thefe whom he re- prcfented, were confidered as being under Death, which, Covenant of Grace. II which, in the Language of the Covenant, is a very extenfive Term : The Spirit and Lite were to be purchafed by him, and did belong to the Promffc of tne Covenant. So* upon the Credit or' his ful- filling the Condition of the Covenant, in due Time ; the Fulnefs of the Spirit, and eternal Life, were lodged in him, to be communicate by him. Rev. iii. i. ihefe ^things faith he that hath the fevtn Spirits of God. i John v. 1 1. God hath given t§ us eternal Life : And this Life is in his Son. John xvii. 2. As thou haft given him Power over all Flefh, that be fhould give eternal Life. Thus was he made a quickning Spirit. Now the Doctrine of thefe Texts thus com- pared and explained, is, That the Covenant of Grace, for Life and Salvation to hft Sinners of Mankind, was made with Jesus Christ the Last Adam; and be conftitute Adminiflrator of it. In handling of this weighty Subject, I deem it not neceiTary to iniift, to prove that there is a Co- venant of Grace, the Being of which is obvious from the Texts, and many other Scriptures, fuch as Ifa. xlii. 6. and xlix. 8. and liv. io. Heh. viii. 6. and xiii. 20. But the following Account of it, fhall be ranged under thefe fix Heads t Namely, Fir ft, The Parties in the Covenant of Grace ,• Secondly, The making of chat Covenant ; thirdly, The Parts of it ; Fourthly, The Admini- ftratiuii of it ; Fifthly, The atrial of a faving pcr- fonal Inbeing in it ; Sixthly, The Way of enftat- ing Sinners perionally and favingly in it. HEAD ■ 12 The Parties in the HEAD I. The Parties in the Covenant of Grace. N all Covenants, of whatfoever Nature they be, whether Covenants of ab folate Promife, or conditional ones, there muft needs be diftin£t Parties : For, how- beit one may decree, refolve, or pur- pofe with himfelf, without another Party ; yet one's covenanting or bargaining, vowing, or promi(ing x fpeaks an Obligation thence arifing to another di- ftinft Party. Accordingly, in the Covenant of Grace, there are three Parties to be confidered ; Firft, The Party Contratfer on Heaven's Side j Se- condly, The Party ContracJer on Man's Side, and STbirdly \ The Party contracted and undertaken for : Or which in order. And I. Of Covenant of Grace. i J I. Of the Tarty-contr after on Heavens Side. AS it was in the Covenant of Works, in this Point ; fo it is likewife in the Covenant of i Grace : The Party upon the one Side, is God 1 himfelf, and he only. There was no need of any other, to fee to the Interefts of Heaven, in this Co- venant : And there was no other, when it was ; made, being made from Eternity, before the World began. Tit. i. 2. this is plain from the Words of the Covenant, / will be their God, Jer. xxxi. 33. But, whether God is herein to be confidered per- fsnally. or effent tally, is not quite fo clear. Some Divines think, that the Father, perfonally confide- red, namely as to the firft Perfon of the glorious Trinity, is the Party-contra&er on Heaven's Side. Others, that God etflntially confidered, that is, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, is that Party-con - trader. But, however we conceive of that Matter, we are aifured from the holy Oracles, That thefe Three arc one God; and judge, that, according to the Scripture, it may be fafely faid, that God, ejfent tally confidered, was the Party-contra&er in the Perfon of the Father. Hereby it is owned, that the Son and the Holy Ghoft have their Part in the Covenant, en Heaven's Side, as the Party of- fended by Man's Sin : And in the mean Time, a peculiar Agency, in this great Work of Power and Authority, on that Side, is attributed to the Father 1 as there is unto the Son, on Man's Sidc And 14 Th Tarties in the And that, of the Party Contrafter on Heaven's Side, we may conceive aright in this Matter j thefe two Things are in the firft Place to be taken No- tice of. i. He from ail 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 Caufe, the Decree is faid to bring forth, as a Woman doth a Child, Zepk n. 2. A nd the Creation of Angels and Men, with the Providence about them, made many Lines in the Volume of the fealed Book of the Decrees. God fdf-fufficient needed neither Man nor Angel ; but tor the Mani- feftation of his own Glory, he purpofed from Eter- nity to create them : And moreover, to enter into fuch a Covenant with Man, as one mould therein reprefent the whole Family ; fovereign Pleafure mean while taking another Method with the angelic Tribe : But withal purposing to give both the one and the other, a fufficient Ability to {land in their Integrity, if they would. Thus, from Eternity, the Covenant ot Works in all the Parts and Ap- purtenances thereof, was before the eternal Mind ; tho' being made with a mere Man, it could not actually be entred into, till once Man was created. But. Known unto God are all his Works from the Beginning of the World, Ads xv. 18. 2. He de- creed alfo from Eternity, to permit the firft Man, the Reprefentative of the whole Family, to Fall, and fo to break the Covenant, and involve himfelt and all his Pofterity in Ruines. 'Tis evident from the fpotlefs Holinefs of God, and the Nature of the Thing, that the Divine Permijfion was not the Caufe of Covenant of Grace. 15 of Man's Fall ; and from the neceffary Dependance of the Creature, upon the Creator, that without it be could not have fallen. But the fovereign Lord of the Creatures, permitted the Fall o£ Man, for his own holy Ends, purpofing to bring about Good from it. Now God the Party - contract er on Heaven's Side in the Covenant of Grace, is to be confidered in that Matter, in a threefold View. Firft, He is to be confidered in it as an offended God ; offended with all the Sins of all Mankind, original and a&ual. Looking upon the Children of Men, the whole Mafs of Mankind appeared, in the Eyes of his Glory, corrupt and loathfome, the very Reverfe of his Holinefs : He faw them All gone a- fide, together become filthy, none doing Good, no not one, Pfal. xiv. 2, 3. In the firft Covenant, God contracted with Man himfelf as a Friend ; without the Interpofition of a Mediator. Eut in the fecond Covenant^ it was not fo ; and it could not be fo : For in it, Man was confidered as a fallen Creature, a Tranfgreffor ot the Law, and an Enemy to God ; and it is a Covenant of Reconciliation, a Covenant of Peace for thefe who had been at War with Heaven. Secondly, But withal, God is to be confidered herein, as a God purpofing and decreeing from Eter- nity, to manifeft the Glory of his free Grace, Love, and Mercy, in the Salvation of fome of Mankind loft. Accordingly, we are faid to befaved in Time, according to his own Purpofeand Grace given us in Chrift Jefus before the World began, 2 Tim. i. g. without fuch a Purpofe of Grace in God, there could never have been a Covenant of Grace. But the fovereign Lord of the Creatures, over looking the fallen Angels, as to any Purpofe of Mercy, en- tertained Thoughts of Love and Peace towards fallen Man- 1 6 The Parties in the Mankind ; ptirpofing iti himfelf to make fomc of them everlalting Monuments of his free Grace and Mercy, Partakers of Life and Salvation ; and f6 kt on foot the Covenant of Grace. '" Lafily, Yet We are to confide r him alfo, in this Matter, as ajuft God, who cannot but do right, give Sin a jujt Recommence , and magnify his holy Law and make it honourable. Gen. xviii. 25. H<#*. ii. 2. Tjte. xlii. 21. Upon the Motion for extend- ing 'Mercy to Sinners of Mankind, the ju dice of God interpofeth, pleading that Mercy can not be ftiown them, but upon Terms agreeable to Law and junYiee. 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. exa£t Jufiice, nor to fhew Mercy in Frejudicc 01 it. Now the Juftice of God required, that the Law which was violated, mould be fullv fatisfied, and the Honour thereor repaired by St>jfer;ng ami Obe- dience ; the Former, iuch as might fati>ry the pffia* San&km of the Law ; and the Latter, the command- ing Part of it: The which being quite beyond the Reach or the Sinners themfelve?, they behovM ta die without Mercy, unlcfs amiher, who could be accepted as a diffident Surety, mould undertake ft r ' them, as a fecond Adam, corning in their Room and Stead, as they lay ruined by the Breach of the Covenant of Works. Thus ftood the Impediments, in the Way of Mercy to fallen Man, quite infuperabie to him, or any of his Fellow-creatures : And the Covenant of Grace was made,, for removing thefc -Impediments out of the Way ; and that it might be the Channel, wherein the whole rich Flood of laving Mercy might flow freely, for the quickning, purging, fructifying, and Covenant of Grace: ij and perfecting of loft Sinners of Mankind, who were under the Bands of Death and the Curfe, through the Breach of the rlrft Covenant by the firft ddam. From what is faid on this Point, we may draw this Inference, to wit, that the Redemption of the Soul is ■precious. The Salvation of loft Sinners was a greater Work, than the making of the World : The poweriul IVord commanded, and this lad was done ; but the former was not to be com- paffed, but with more ado. II. Of the Party-cont rafter on Mans Side. WE have fee a, that upon the one Side, in the Covenant of Grace, is God himfelf. Now, upon the other Side is Jesus Christ the Son of God, with his fniritnal Seed, Heb. ii. 13. Behold, /, and the Children which God hatb given me : The former, as the Party -contracier and Under- taker ; the latter, as the ¥my -contra fled and under- taken tor : A good Reafon for his Name lmmanuel^ which being interpreted, is God with us , Match, i. 23. The Party-contracter then, with God, in the Covenant or Grace, is, our Lord Jefus Chrift. He alone managed the Interefts of Men,, in this eternal Bargain: For, at the making of it, none of tnem were in Being; nor, it they had been, would they have been capable of affording any Help. Now Jefus Chrift the Party- contra&er on Man's Side, in the Covenant of Grace, is, according to 01 r Texts, to be coniidered in that Matter, as th« laft or fecond Adam, Head and Reprcfcncative o"£ a Seed, loji Sinners of Mankind, the Party-con- B wafted 1 8 Tfo Tarties in the traded For. And thus he lifted hjmfelf Mediator, between an offended jaft God, and offending Men guilty before him : In which Point lay one main Difference, betwixt the firft Adam and the laft Adam. For there is one Mediator between God and Men, the Man Chrift Jefus; who gave himfelf a Ranfom, i Tim. ii. 5, 6. And fo the Covenant of Grace, which could not be made immediately with Sinners, was made with Chriil the laft Adam, their Head and Reprefentative, mediating between God and them ; therefore called Jefus the Mediator of the new Covenant, to whom we come by believ- ing, Heb xii. 22, 24. The Term Mediator is not, to my Obfervation, applied in the holy Scripture to any other, except Mojes, Gal. iii. 15?. Stbe Law — was ordained by Angels in the Hand of a Mediator. And of him, a typical Mediator, 'tis worth obferving, that he was not only an Inter-mefjenger, between God and Ifrael; but in God's renewing his Covenant, in Way of Reconciliation, after the breaking ot the Tabks, the Covenant was made with him, as their Head and Reprefentative, Exod. xxxiv. 27. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, write thou thefe Words : For after the Tenor of thefe I fords I have made a Covenant with thee and with Ifrael. This refers unto the gracious Anfwer made to Mofes's Prayer, Ver. 9. Pardon our Iniquity and our Sin, and take us for thine Inheritance, ver. 10. Andhe (namely, theLord; faid, Behold I make a Covenant : Before all thy People 1 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 Mofes was " alone on the Mount with God, during the whole Time of this Tranfa&ion : And in Covenant of Grace. 19 It, the Lord fpcaks of him and the People as one, all alon^. For clearing of this Purpofe, ancnt the Party-co/j- ir after on Man's Side, I mall (i.) Evince that the Covenant of Grace was made with Christ as the lafi Adam, Head and Reprefencative of a Seed; and (2.) Shew why it was fo made. First, That the Covenant of Grace, the fecond Covenant, was made with Chrift as the lafi or fe- cond Adam, Head and Reprefentative of a Seed, to wit, his fpiritual Seed, appears from the following Confederations. Firjl, Covenants typical of the Covenant of Grace, were made or eflablifhcd with Perfons reprefenting their refpective S^ed. Thus it was in the typical Coveriant in our Text, the Covenant of Royalty made with David ; an undoubted Type of the Co- venant of Grace. In it, David was God's Servant, having a Seed Comprehended with him therein Pfal. Ixxxix. 5, 4. He was an eminent Type of Chrift, who is therefore called David, Hof. iii. j. Afterward fhall the Children of Jfrael return, and feek the Lord their God, and David their King. And the Benefits of the Covenant of Grace, arc called the fur e Mercies of David, I fa. Iv. 3. Thus was it alfo in the Covenant of the Day and Night fjer. xxxiii. 20.) cftablifhed with Noah and his Sons, Reprefentative of their Seed, the new World, Gen. ix. 9. Behold I eftablifh my Covenant with you, and with your Seed after you. A nd that this Co- venant was a Type of the Covenant of Grace, ap- pears, from its being made upon a Sacrifice, Chap. viii. 20, 21, 22 ; and from the Sign and token of it, the Rain bow, Chap. ix. 13. appear- ing round about the throne, Rev. iv. 3 : But efpe- B 2 daily, 10 The Parties in the daily, from the Nature and Import of it, to wit, that there fhould not be another Deluge, Gen. ix. x i ; the Subftance of which is plainly declared If a. liv. 9. As I have /worn that the Waters of Noab fiould no more go over the Earth ; fo have I [worn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. Ver. 10. For the Mountains jloall depart, and the Hills be removed, but my Kindnefs (Joall not depart from thee, neither /hall the Covenant of my Peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath Mercy on thee. And fuch alfo was the Covenant of the Land of Canaan, made with Abraham reprefenting his Seed Gen. xv. 18. and afterwards confirmed by Oath Chap. xxii. 16, 17. In all which he was an eminent Type of Chrift, the true Abraham, Father of the Multitude o\ the Faithful, who upon God's Call left Heaven his native Country, and came and fojourn- ed among the cur fed Race of Mankind, and there offered up his own Flefh and Blood a Sacrifice unto God, and fo became the true Heir of the World, and received the Promifes for his fpirkuai Seed, the Sum whereof is given by Zacbarias, in his Account of the Covenant with Abraham, Luke i. 72. ^to remember his holy Covenant ; Ver. 73. £be Oath which he fware to our Father Abraham, Ver. 74. tthat he would grant unto us, that we being deliver- ed out of the Hands of our Enemies, might ferve him without Fear, Ver. 75. /;; Holme fs and Right e- eufnefs before him, all the Days of our Life. And -finally, thus it was in the Covenant of everlafting Prtefthood, made with Pbineas ; another Type of the Covenant of Grace. In it Pbineas flood a Re- prefentative of his Seed; Num. xxv. 13. And be foall have it } and his Seed after bim, even the Co- venant Covenant of Grace. ii renant of an everlafting Priefthood ; becaufe he was zealous for his God, and made an Atonement for the Children of IfraeL And therein he typified Jtfus Chrift, reprefenring his fpiritual Seed in the Covenant of Grace: For 'tis evident, that it is in Chrift, who made the great Atonement for Sinners, the everlafting Priefthood promised to Phineas, hath its Full Accomplifhment, his fpiritual Seed partaking of the fame in him, according to Pfal. ex. 4. tfbou art a Prieft for ever, Rev. i. 6. And hath made us Kings and Priefts unto God and his Father. Now forafmuchas thefe typical Covenants, were made or eftablifhed with Parties (landing therein as publick Perfons, Heads, and Keprejentatives of their Seed; it natively follows, that the Covenant of Grace typified by them, was made with Chrift as the Head and Keprefentatroe of his fpiritual Seed: For, whatfoever is attributed to any Perfon or Thing as a type, hath its Accomplifhment really and chiefly in the Perfon or Thing typified. Secondly, Our Lord Jefus Chrift being, in the Piirafeology of the Holy Ghoft, the la ft Adam, the Reafon hereof cannot be taken from the Nature common to the firft Adam and him ; for all Man- kind partake of that: But from their common Of- fice of Federal Headfhip and Reprefentation, in the refpective Covenants touching Man's eternal Happi- flfcfs -, the which is peculiar unto Adam and the Man Christ. Accordingly, Adam is called the firft Man, and Chrift the fecond Man, 1 Cor. xv. 47. but Chrift is no otherwife the fecond Man, than as he is the fecond Federal Head, or the Reprefentative in the fecond Covenant ; as Adam was the firft Federal Head, or the Reprefentative in the firft Covenant. Agreeable to- which, the Apoftle reprefents Adam as the Head of the B 3 earthy 2Z The Tar ties in the earthy Men, and Chrift as the Qead of the heaven* ly Men. Ver, 48. the former bdng thefe who bear Adzm's Image, namely, all his natural Seed ; the latter, thefe who partake of the Image of Chrift, namely, his fpirirual S.ed Ver. 49. all this is con- firm'd, from Adam's being a Figure or 'type of Chrift, which the Apoftle exprefly affrts Rom. v. 14; and from the Parallel he draws betwixt them two, namely, that as by Adam's Covenant-break- ing Sin and Death came on all that were his, fo by Chrift's Covenant- keeping Right eoufnefs and Life come to 'all that are his, Vew 17, 18, 19 Where- fore, as the firft Covenant was made with Adam y as the Head and Reprefentative of his natural Seed; fo the fecond Covenant was made- with Chrift, as the Head and Reprefentative of his fpiritual Seed. thirdly, As the firft Man was called Adam % that is to fay, Man ; he being the Head and Re- prefentative of Mankind, the Perfon in whom God treated with all Men, his natural Seed, in the firft Covenant : And, on the other Hand, all Men there- in reprefented by him, do, in the Language of the Holy Ghoft. go under the Name ofc Adam y Pfal. xxxix. 5, ji. Surely every Man (in the Original it is, all Adam j is Vanity: So Chrift bears the Name of his fpiritual Seed, and they on the other Hand bear his Name ; a plain Evidence or. their being one in the Eye of the Law, and of God's treating with him as their Reprefentative in the fe- cond Covenant. Ifrael is the Name of the fpiritu- al Seed Rom. ix. 6. And our Lord Jefus Chrift is call d by the fame Name, Ifa. xlix. x. thou art tfty Servant , O Ifrael, in whom I will be glorified ; as fcveral learned and judicious Commentators do ! imderlUiid Covenant of Grace. 1$ underftand it, and is evident from the whole Con- text Ver. i, 2, 4 — 9. The Truth is, Chri ft is here fo called with a peculiar Solemnity. For the origi- nal Text ftands precifdy thus, tftiou art my Servant; Ifrael, in whom I will glorify myfelf Inat is, thou art Ifrael Reprefentative, in whom I will glorify my felt, and make all mine Attributes illuftrious; as I was difhonoured, and they darkned, by Jfrael the collective Body of the fpiritual Seed. And this leads us to a natural and unftrained Interpretation of that Paflage, Pfal. xxiv. 6. This is the Generation of them that feek him, that feek thy Face, Jacob. That is in other Words, eHafc long for the appear- ing (Prov. vii. 15. Gen. xxxii. 30.) of the Mcf- fias, the Lord whom the Old Teftament Church did fo feek, a Pledge of whofe coming to his Temple (Mai. iii. 1.) was the bringing in of the Ark into the Tabernacle, that David "had ere&ed for it, on which Occafio'h that Pfalm was penned. Accord- ingly it follows immediately, Ver. 7. Lift up your Heads, O ye Gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlafting Doors, and the King of Glory flo all come in. And in another Pfalm, penned on the fame Gccafion, and exprefly faid to have been delivered on that very Day into the Hand of Afaph, 1 Chron. xvi. 1, 7. is that ExprefFion round, Ver, 11. feek his Face continually ; juftly to be interpreted, agreeable to the Circumftances, of the main Tning, which David through the Spirit had in View that Day, namely the coming of the Meffias. Thus Chriil bears the Name of his fpiritual Seed. And, they, on the other Hand, bear his Name too, 1 Cor. xii. 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 alfo is Qhrift. B 4 Fourthly: Z4 The Parties in the Fourthly, The Promifes were made to Chrift as the fecond Adam, the Head and Reprefentative of his Seed, Gal. iii. \6- Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promifes made. He faith not, and to Seeds, as of many ; tut as of one, and to thy Seed^ which is Chrift. I own that here, even as in the Text immediately before cited, is meant Chrift my- Ctical, the Head and Members. 'Tis to them., that the Promifes are here faid to be made : But, prima- rily ro the Head, fecondarily to the Members in him ; even as the Promife of Life, in the firft Co- venant, was primarily made to Adam as the Head, and fecondarily to all his natural Seed in him. Thus in the typical Covenant with Abraham, the Pro- mifes of the earthly Inheritance, were primarily made to Abraham himfelf ; and fecondarily, to his Seed according to the Flefh. And even fo, the Promife of the eternal Inheritance, plainly (lands made to Chrift, Sfit. i. 2. /// hope of eternal Life y which God that cannot lie, promt jed before the World began; when there was none, but Chrift, to whom that Promife could be made perionally. According- ly the Covenant is faid to be made with the Houfe cf Ifraef, namely The fpiritual Jfrael; yet are the Promifes of it directed, not to them, but to another Perfon, Heb. viii. 10. I will be to them a God, and they (loall be to m me a People. The Reafon of which plainly appears, in the Promifes being made to Chrift as their Head and Reprefentative. Now for- afmuchas thefe Promifes belong to the Covenant of Graff, which is therefore called the Covenants of Pro- mife, Eph. ii. 1 2. 'tis manifeft, that, if they were made to Chrift, as the Head and Reprefentative of a Seed, the Covenant of GYO.ce was made with him as Covenant of Grace. 15 as Inch : And he to whom they were primarily made, was furely the Parry- contr after therein. Laftly, This tederal Htadfhip of Chrilt, and his representing his fpititual Seed, in the Covcianc of G;ace, appears from his Suretiftsipin that Covenant, the better ieftament whereof J ejus ivas made a Sure- ty, Heb. vii. 22. Now h.' became Surety {or them, in the Way of Satisfaction for their Debt of Punifh- ment and Obedience ; and that, taking the whole Burden on him 'elf, as for Pcrfons utterly unable to anfwer for themfelves. This will afterwards fall in I to be cleared. Mean while, fuch a Surety is a true ! Reprefentative of the Parry he is Surety for, and one Perfon with them in the Eye of the Law. Hence, not only is Chrift faid to have been made Sin for us 2 Cor. v. 2 1 . to have had the Iniquity of us all laid on him Ifa. liii. 6. and to have died I for us Rom. v. 8. But alfo we are faid to have ; been crucified with Chrift Gal. ii. 20. to be made the Right eoujnefs of God in him 2 Cor. v. 21. Yea to be raifed up together, and glorified, being made fit together in heavenly Places in Chrift Jefus Eph. ii. 6. and to be made alive in Chrift, as we die in Adam 1 Cor. xv. 22. All which necefTarily requires this his Headfiip and Reprefentation, in the Covenant. And thus it appears, that the fecond Covenant I was made with Chrift as the laft or fecond Adam y \ Head and Reprefentative of his fpirmial Seed. Secondly, We are to enquire, wherefore the , fecond Covenant, the Covenant of Grace, was fo l made. And this mall be accounted for, in the fol- lowing Particulars. Fir ft, The Covenant of Grace was made with j Chrift, as the laft Adam, Head and Reprefentative I of his fpiritual Seed, that infinite Love might have an %6 The Parties in the an early Vent, even from Eternity. The fpecial Love of God to the fpiritual Seed, took Vent in the Covenant oi Grace : And that Love and that Covenant, are of the fame eternal Date ; as the Love was everlafting or eternal Jer. xxxi. 3. So was the Covenant Heb. xiii. 20. fit. i. 2. But, fince the Seed are but of Yefterday, the Covenant of Grace behov'd to be, like the Covenant of Works, a Yefterday's Covenant, a Time-covenant, if it was not made with Chrift as their Reprefentative : It could not otherwife have been an eternal Covenant ; the Promife of eternal Life, which is undoubtedly a Promife of the Covenant of Grace, qould not otherwife have been of fo ancient a Date, as before the World began, as the Apoftle fays it is fit. i. 2. How could an eternal Covenant be originally made with Creatures of Time^ but in their eternal Head and Reprefentative ? Or, how coul'd an eternal Covenant be perfonally made with them, by Way of perfonal Application to them, had it not been from Eternity made with another as their Head and Reprefentative ? But in this Method of infinite Wifdom, free Love took an early Vent ; not waiting the flow Motion of its Objects creep- ing out of the Womb of Time, in which many of them ly wrapt up, even to this ,Day : But as Princes fometimes do, by Proxy, marry young PrincefTes, before they are marriageable, or capable to give their Confent ; fo God in his infinite Love, married to himfelf all the fpiritual Seed, in and by Jefus Chrift as their Reprefentative, not only be- fore they were capable of confenting, but before they were at all : The which they do afterwards, in their effectual Calling, approve of by Faith, and give their Confent perfonally to ; and fo they enjoy God Covenant of Grace. Vj | God as their God, and God hath them as his People. John xx. 1 7. / afcend unto my Father, and your Father, and to ray God, and your God. Secondly, Othcrwife it could not have been made at all a conditional Covenant anfwcring the Defign i ot it. This Covenant taking place, only upon the I Breach of the firft Covenant, the great Defign of j it was, that dead Sinners might have Life, as was ; before obferved. Now in order to this, a holy juft ' God ftood upon Conditions, without performing of ; which, that Life was not to be given : And they j were high Conditions, Pfal. xl. 6. Sacrifice and 1 Offering thou didft not defire. 1 Theff v. 9, 10. Jefus Chrift, who died for us, that— ive Jbould i live. But, how could an effectual conditional Co- i venant for Life, be made with dead Sinners, other- wife than in a Representative ? Dead Souls cannot j perform any Condition for Life at all, which can 1 be pleaiing to God. They muft needs have Life, j before they can do any Thing of that Nature ; be it j never fo fmall a Condition. Therefore a conditional Covenant for Life, could not be made with Sinners in their own Perfons : Efpecially considering, that the Conditions for Life, were fo high, that Man at bis beft State, was not able to perform them. Wherefore, if fuch a Covenant was made at all, it : behoved to be made with Chrift as their Repre- [Tentative, Rom. viii. 3; 4. .^Thirdly, It was fo ordered, to the End it might ; be, unto us poor Sinners, a Covenant of Grace in- Ideed. 'Tis evident from the holy Scriptures, that jthis Covenant was defign'd for exalting the free \Grace or God ; and, that 'tis fo framed, as to be |a Covenant of pure Grace, and not of Works, in |refped of us, whatever it was in refpect of Chrift, i Rom. l8 The Parties in the Rom. lV. \6. therefore it is of Faith, that it might he by Grace. Epb. if. o. Not of Works, left any Man fljould eoast. And at this Rate indeed, it is a Covenant of pure Grace ; and all Ground of Boafttng is taken away from us ; the Lord Jefus Chrift himfelf, as Reprefentative, being fole Un- dertaker and Performer of the Conditions thereof. But it is not fo, if it is made with the Sinner him- felf, Handing as principal Party, contracting with God, and undertaking and performing the Condi- tions of the Covenant for Life: For, how low fo- ever thefe Conditions undertaken and wrought by the Sinner in his own Perfon, are fuppofed to be j the Promife of the Covenant is made to them : And fo, according to the Scripture-reckoning, \is a Covenant of //V/b, Rom. iv. 4. Now to him that worketh, is the Reward not reckoned of Grace, hut of Debt ; and 'twixt Adam's Covenant and fuch a Covenant, there is no Difference, but in Degree, which leaves it ftill of the fame Kind. "' Fourthly, This Method was taken, tnat the Com- munication of Righteoufnefs and Life, might be in as compendious a Way, as the Communication of Sin and Death was. As by one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners : So by the Obedience of one (hall many he made righteous, Rom. v. 19. The Covenant of Works having been made with Adam, as a Repre- fentative of his natural Seed ; upon the breaking thereof, Sin and Death are communicate to them all, from him, as a deadly Head. This being fo, it was not agreeable to the Method of Divine Pro- cedure with Men, to treat with thefe predeftinated unto Salvation, feverally, as principal Parties, each contrading for himfelf, in the new Covenant for Life ; But to treat for them all, with one publick Perfon, Covenant of Grace. 29 Perfoii, who, through his fulfilling of the Covenant:, Ihould be a quichiing Head to them, from whence Life might be derived to them, in as compendious a Way, as Death was from the firfl Adam. For his Mercies are above all his other Works. Laftly, The Covenant of Grace was fo made, that it might be a jure Covenant ; even, to the End the Promife might be fure to all the Seed> ! Rom. iv. 16. The full Covenant was made with a mere Creature, as a principal Party, and Con- trader : And tho' he was a holy and righteous Man ; yet was he fo fickle, and unliable, that he I tail'd of performing the Condition he undertook : ' And fo, the Benefit of the Promife was loft. Where- | fore, fallen Men were not at all fit, to be principal I Parties, or Parties-contraders, in the new Cove- nant, wherein the Promife was to be fure, and not \ to mifs of an Accompiilhment. They being then • wholly a broken Company, not to be trufted in the J Matter ; Jefus Chriii the Son of God was conftitute Head of the new Covenant, to ad for and in Name of the fpiritual Seed: And that, to the End, the Covenant being, in this Manner, fure in Point of the fulfilling of the Condition, might be alfo fure in Point of the Accompiilhment of the Promije. And this is the very Hinge of the Stability of the Cove- nant of Grace, according to the Scripture, PfaL lxxxix. 28. My Mercy will I keep for him for ever- more, and my Covenant (hall fi and fast with him. ; ver. 22. 'The Enemy frail not exaff upon him. Or, I as others read it, and, I think, juftly j tfhe Enemy i fhall not beguile him, namely, as he did the fir ft i Adam. The original Phrafe is elliptical, q. d. £he I Enemy JJjall not beguile (his Soul, Jer. xxxvii. 9.) I in him. Before £0 The Parties in the Before I leave this Point, I offer the following Inferences From it. Inf l. The Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace, are not two diftrnd Covenants, bi one and the fame Covenant. I know that many Divines do exprefs themfelves otherwife in this Ma^:r ; and that, upon very different Views, fome of which are no ways injurious to the Do&rine of free Grace. But this I take to be Scripture- truth, and a native Confequent of the Account given of the Covenant of Grace in our Larger Cd- tecb'ifm, to wit, a That the Covenant of Grace was *< made with Chrilt, as the feccnd Adam, and ift " him, withal) the Ele&, as his Seed. Gah iii. i6 a " Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Pro* <* mifes made. He faith not, and to Seeds, as of I fa. xlv. 25. In the Lord fio ill all the Seed of Ifrael be juftified ; even as in the hrft Man all the Seed of Adam was condemned Rom. v. 18. For,as the firft Man was limply ca 11 ed Adam or Man, becaufe in the firft Covenant, he was a Compend of all Mankind ; he was all Men in Law-reckoning, they being all reprefented by him : So Jefus Chrift was a Compend of all Ifrael, that is, all the EleB \ he was all Ifrael in Law-reckoning, they being ail reprefented by him. And thus we have the true Ground of the Univerfality oi that Expreflion Ifa. liii. 6. *£be Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all ; i. e. of all Ifrael, that is to fay, all the EtecJ* The which is confirmed by a parailel^Text, C 4 bearing 40 The Parties in the bearing the Type whereof this hath the Antitype, viz. Lev. xvi. 2 1. And Aaron [hall lay both his Hands upon the Head of the Live goat, and confefs over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Ifrael, and all their I'ranfgreJJions in all their Sins, putting them upon the Head of the Goat. For as Ifrael was a People entertained with Types, To they themfelves we e indeed a typical People. Secondly, We are to enquire, how the Elect were coniidered in this Covenant and federal Repre* fentation. And therein, they came under a three- fold Confideration. Fir(l> They were coniidered as Sinners, loft, ruined, and undone in Adam; loft Sheep of the Houfe of Ifrael Matth. xv. 24. In the firft Cove- nant, the whole Flock of Mankind, was put under; the Hand of one Shepherd, to wit, Adam : But he, lofing himfelf, loft 2 II the Flock, and was never able to recover fo much as one of them again. God had, from all Eternity, put a fecrct Mark on fome of them, whereby he diftinguifhed them from the Reft 2 Tim. ii. 19. Having this Seal, ^the Lord kno-weth them that are his. And them alfo he faw among others, gone away from their Pafture, wan- dering as Waifs and Strays, a Prey to every De- vourer : But in order to their being fought out, and returned, and kept in Safety for ever, the new Co- venant was enter'd into with another Shepherd, even our Lord Jefus Chrift ,• and they are put under his Hand, as the Shepherd of Ifrael. In Adam's Re- pre(entation, in the Covenant of Works, the Party reprefented was coniidered as an upright Seed Ecclef vi. 29: But in Chrift's Reprefentation, in the Co- venant of Grace, the Party reprefented was con- fider^ as a corrupt finful Mafs, laden with Guilt, Covenant of Grace. 41 under the Wrath of God and Curfe of the Law. And who would have reprefented fuch a Company, putting himfilf in their Room and Stead ? But free Love engag'd our Lord Jefiis to it. So the Holy One of God, reprefented wretched Sinners : The Be- loved of the Father, reprefented the curfed Com- pany. Secondly, They were confidercd alfo, as utterly unable to help themfelves, in whole or in Part; as being without Strength Rom. v. 6. They were Debtors, but quite unable to pay ofT one Farthing of the Debt : They were Criminals, but quite un- able to bear their own Punifbment, to the Satisfacti- on of Juftice. Had it lain on them to have paid the Debt, or born the Punifhment, they behov'd to have funk under the Load for ever. So it was ne- ceiTary, they mould have One to reprefent them, taking Burden on him for them all. Lajlly, They were confidered withal, as the Ob- jects of eternal, fovereign, and free Love, given to Chrifl: by his Father. The Father loved them John jtvfl. 23. and therefore gave them to Chrift Ver. 6. The Son loved them Efh. v. 2. and accepting of the Gift, reprefented them in the Covenant, as a Fa- ther his own Children, J fa. ix. 6. His Name Jh all be called — I've everlaftiug Father. Compare Heh. ii. 13. Behold /, and the Children which God hath given me. It was owing to this free Love, and mere good Pleafure, that they, and not others in the fame Condemnation, by the Breach of the firft Co- venant, were reprefented and contracted for, by Jcfus Chrifl, in the fecond ; that their Names were put in the eternal Contract, while the Names of o- thers were left out. They were his Father's Choice, and 41 The ^Parties in the and his own Choice ; fo he became their Reprc- Tentative. From what is faid concerning the Party repre- fented and contracted for, we make the following Inferences. Inf. i. There's & fovereign Freedom of the Love ef God, appearing in the fcuond Covenant, the Co- venant ofr Grace. And it appears efpecially in two Things, (i.) In that there was a Love towards fallen iMto, and not towards fallen Angels, Tit. iii. 5. whereby it came to pais, that Men> and not Devils> were taken hold of, reprefented, and contracted for, by Jefus Chrift, in the Covenant, Heb. ii. 16. doubtlefs he could have contracted for the one, as well as for the other : But Sovereignty palled 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 Dif- penfation of Grace, there's no Rcfped to Creature- worth : All is owing to the mere good Pleafure of God who hath Mercy on whom be will have Mer- cy. (2.) It appears in that there was an ele&ing Love of Men; whereby it came to pais, that fome Men, and not all Men, were represented and con- traded 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 pitcht on Objects altogether unlovely • and fovereign Love pitches on fome fuch Qbjeds, palling by o- thers of the fame Condition. Even fo Father, for fo it feemed good in thy Sight, Matth. xi. z6. The Veffcls of Honour, and the Veffeis of Diihonour, are both made of the fame linful Lump : A Myftery, that mull berefolved into fovereign Will and Plea- fure, Konu ix. a 1. Hath not the Potter Power over the Covenant of Grace. 45 the Clay, of the fame Lump to make one Veffel unto Honour, and another unto Dijbonouri But fay not, that this difparageth the federal Reprefentation of the fecond Adam, that he reprefented only fome of Mankind, whereas the firft Adam reprefented all Mankind. For, as it is more to be Surety, for a vail Sum, for one Man, who neither hath, nor can have, any Thing at all wherewithal to pay his Debt; than to be Surety tor a hundred fuch as have A- bundance of their own : So it was more for Jefus Chrift, to contract and undertake for one Sinner* than for Adam to con trad tor a righteous World. And (iiil it holds true, that where Sin abounded* Grace did much more abound, Rom. v. 20. for 'tis more by far, to jaw one, than to ruin many. Mean while, thefe reprefented by Chrift in the fecond Co- venant, are a great Multitude, which no Man could number, Rev. vii. 9. even as the Stars of Heaven Gen. xv. 5- Rom. iv. 18. Inf. 2. There is no umverfal Redemption, nor umverfal Atonement : Jefus Chrift died not for all and every individual Perfon of Mankind ; bur, for the EleSt only. The contrary Doctrine may con (ill with the Opinion, which holds the Cove- nant of Redemption, and the Covenant of Grace, to be two dittinCt Covenants ; the former made with Cbrtfx, and the latter with Believers-, the Conditi- on of the one undertaken and performed by him, the Condition or the orher undertaken and per- formed by us : Accordingly rhat Opinion, con- cerning the Covenant, is readily embrae'd by Um\ verfalifts of different Denominations. But that Doctrine is utterly inconfiftent with this Account of the Covenant, which dotn at once overthrow unir verfal Redemption or Atonement, together with the fed** 44 Tfo Parties in the federal Conditionally of our Holinefs and good IVorks, in the Covenant of Grace. For, it rhe Covenant of Grace was made with Chrift as a Re- prefeiitative, and the EleSt only were the Party re- prefented by him in it ; then furely the Conditions of the Covenant, his doing and dying, were accom- plifhed for them only ; and he dkd for no other : As when one hath entred into a Bond or Suretijhip, his Payment of that Bond, can never be reckoned a Payment of their Debt, whofe Names were not in the Bond, and whom he was not Surety for. /;;/. 3. and laft. Whoever they be that reject the Covenant of Grace, offered to them in the Gofpel ; and To perifh : All God'j EleB fhall infallibly be entered personally into it, and be faved. Likeas all thefe whom Adam reprefented in the Covenant of Works, have been, are, or fhall be brought perfo- nally into that Covenant; and Sin and Death pafs upon them, Rom. v. 12 : Even fo, all thefe whom ChriPt reprefented in the Covenant of Grace, have been, are, or fhall be brought perfonally into this ^Covenant, and partake of Righteoufnefs and Life, Ver. 18, 19. Our Lord Jefus has fulfilled the Con- ditions of the Covenant, for them whom he repre- fented : And it would neither be fuitable to the Juftice of God, nor to the Wifdom of Chrift the Party contracting with him, that he fhould repre- fent, contract and fulfil the Conditions, tor any ,who mail never enjoy the Benefit of the Contract- Wherefore, fince there are who, by a Putpofe of God that cannot be fruftrated, fhall without Per- ad venture, be brought perfonally into this Cove- nant ; and ye who hear the Gofpel, having the Means for compalling that End, ufed towards you, do ftand as fair for it as Any : This may encourage «*•• you Covenant of Grace. 45 'you to tome to Chrift, and take hold of the Cove- nant. Beftir your felves therefore, O Sinners, to take hold of the Covenant of Grace, which is ot- tered to you in the Gofpel ; and come ye to Chrift, by Faith, thereby winding your felves perfonally ■■into the Bond of this Covenant, and the Commu- nion thereof. Objection. But I fear y Ym none ofthefe whom [Chrift rcprefented in the Covenant of Grace : How then can 1 take hold of it, by Relieving ? Answer. Tho' your Name were the raft Name, that the Lamb wrote down in his Book of Life; yet you nor I no Man can know, that it is there at all, until that II you have, by believing, taken hold of the Cove- nant. 2 Pet. i. 10. Make your Calling and Election Jure ; But, firft your Calling, and then your Election, | And on the other Hand, tho' you were a Monftei; of all Manner of Wickednefs, and had all the defpe- i rate Marks of a Caft-away about you, except that ! one only, the Sin againft the Holy Ghoft. You 'nor no Man can know, that you were not reprefented : in the Covenant, jlftf/. xii. 3 1. All Manner of Sin and I Blafphemy Jhall be forgiven unto Men : But the Blafphemy againft the Holy Ghoft (h all not be forgiven unto Men. Wherefore, that Matter is an abfolute Secret to you, which, in this Cafe, you are not to meddle to determine in : For, the fecret things be- long unto the Lord our God : But thofe Things which are revealed belong unto us Dcut. xxix. 29. Neithec does your Warrant to believe, and to lay hold on the Covenant, any Manner or Way depend on it : I 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; elfe they could not be condemned for Unbelief and not taking bold of the 46 The Parties in the the Covenant, Be what you will, (incc you ate certainly a Sinner of Mankind ; your Warrant is uncontestable, according to the Word : Fcr God fo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son 9 that whosoever beltevetb on him, /houlci not periftj^ but have ever I aft ing Life, John nu 16. and full Reparation of God's injured Ho- nour. This was their Debt of Punifhment ; a Debt, which they themfelves could never have cleared, tho' paying, to the utmofl of their Power, through A ges of Eternity. But, this their Debt Chrift became Surety for, obliging himfelf to lay down his Life, for theirs which was loft in Law. Pfal. xl. 6, 7. Sacrifice and Offering thou didli not dejire, mine Ears haft thou opened— &hen [aid I, Lo, I come. John x. 15. I lay down my Life for the Sheep, ver, 18. I lay it down of my felf: I have Power to lay it. down y and I have Power to take it again, tfhts Commandment have I received of my Father: Here is a Surettjhip that never had a Match ! Davidy in a Tranfport of Grief for the Death of his Son Ab- falom, wijhes he had died for him 2 Sam. xviii. 35. Reuben will venture the Lite of his two Sons for Benjamin, Gen. xlii. 37, and Judah will venture his own for him Chap, xliii. 9, while yet there was Hope, that all would be fate. But our Lord Jefus deliberately pledgeth his own Life for Sinners ; when it was beyond ail Peradventure, the precious Pledge would be loft in the Caufe ; and that the Death he would fuffer, would be a thoufand Deaths in one. Some have offered themfelves Sureties m capital Gaafes; and embrae'd Death, for their Country or Friends: And, Peradventure for a good Man fome would even dare to die. But God commendeth his Love towards us, in that while we were yet Sinners (and Enemies) Chrift died for us y Rom. v. 7, 8, 10. Now in the fecond Adam's Suretifhip for the criminal Debt of his fpiritual Seed, there was not an enfuring of the Payment thereof one Way or other, only; as in fimple Cautionry: But, there was of the Covenant 69 was an Exchange of Perfons in Law ; Chriit fub- ftituting himfeli in their Room, and taking the whole Obligation on himfeli. ttbis y the free Grace of God the Creditor did admit, when he might have infilled, that the Soul that finned fh< uld die : And, a Delay being wichal granted, as to the Time of the Payment, God thus manifefted his Forbearance celcbraced by the Apoflle Rom. iii. 25. And in virtue of that Subftiturion Chrift became Debtor in Law, bound to pay that Debt which he contracted not ; to Reftore that which he took not away Pfal. lxix. 4. For, becoming Surety for them, to the End there might be laid a Foundation in Law and Juftice, for exacting their Debt or Puniihment, from him y their Guilt was transfer'd on him, Jfa. liii. 6. SThe Lord laid on him the Iniquity of us all. This was pointed at, in the laying of the Hand, on the Head of the Sacrifices, under the Law, efpe- cially on the Head of the Scape-goat, Lev. xvi. 2 1 . And Aaron JhaU lay both his Hands upon the Head of the live Goat, and confefs over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Ifrael, and all their Stranfgrefjitns in all their Sins, putting them upon the Head of the Goat. All the Sins of all the Elect were at once imputed to the Surety, and fo became bis, as his Righteoufnefs becomes ours, namely, in Law -reckoning, 2 Cor. v. 21. For he hath made him to be Sin for us, who knew no Sin ; that we might be made the Righteoufnefs of God in him. And he himfelf fpeaks fo of them, Pfal. xl. 12. Mine Iniquities have taken hold upon me ; as feveral va- luable Interpreters do underftand it, according as the Apoftle gives us Dircdion, determining Chrift himfelf to be the Speaker in this Ffalm, Heb. x. 5, <5, 7. He was indeed without Sin inherent in him ; but E 3 no t 70 ChriB the Surety not without Sin imputed to him, till in his Refur- retfion he got up his Difcharge, having ckar'd the Debt by his Death and Sufferings. &hm_yiM he juftified in the Spirit i Tim. iii. 1 6. and fo Jhall appear the fecond