Let us consider the promise which the father engageth to perform on his part the son must ask and the father will give He will give him the heathen for his Psal 2. 8. inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession An allusion to great Princes when they would shew great affection to their Favourites they bid them ask what they will as Ahasuerus did and as Herod did that Esâ—â— 5. 3. Maâ— 6. 23. Isa 49 6. Mâ—t. 28. 18. â—al 2. 10 11. Psal 40. 6. 7 8. is he shall both be the Lord's salvation to the ends of the earth and have all power given him in heaven and earth so that all knees shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord. In the other Text before mentioned Psal 40. Christ declares his compliance to the agreement and his subscribing the Covenant on his part when he came into the world as the Apostle explains it Heb. 10. 5. c. Mine ears saith he hast thou digged or pierced Lo I come to do thy will as if he had said oh father thou dost engage me to be thy servant in this great work of saving sinners Loe I come to do the work I here covenant and agree to yield up my self to thy disposing and to serve thee for ever it seems to be an allusion to the master's boring through the servants ear Exod. 21. 6. Among the Jews only one ear was bored but in this Psal 40. 6. Here are ears in the plural number a token of that perfect and desirable subjection which Christ as Mediator was in to his father But for a more clear distinct and full opening of the Covenant of Redemption or that blessed compact between God the father and Jesus Christ which is a matter of grand importance to all our souls and considering that it is a point that I have never yet treated of in pulpit or press I shall therefore take the liberty at this time to open my self as clearly and as fully as I can And therefore thus If you ask me what this Covenant of Redemption Qu. is I answer in the general That a Covenant is a mutual Ans agreement between parties upon articles or propositions on both sides so that each party is tied and bound to perform his own conditions This description holds the general nature of a Covenant and is common to all Covenants publick and private divine or humane But Secondly and more particularly I answer The Covenant of Redemption is that federal transaction or mutual The Covenant of Redemption defined stipulation that was betwixt God and Christ from everlasting for the accomplishment of the work of our Redemption by the mediation of Jesus Christ to the eternal honour and unspeakable praise of the glorious grace of God Or if you please take it in another form of words thus It is a compact bargain and agreement between God the father and God the son designed Mediator concerning the conversion sanctification and salvation of the Elect through the death satisfaction and obedience of Jesus Christ which in due time was to be given to the father But for the making good the definition I have laid down I must take lieve to tell you That there are many choice Scriptures which give clear intimation of such a federal transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ in order to the recovery and everlasting happiness and salvation of his Elect. I shall instance in the most considerable of them The first is this Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between The first Proof thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise its heel Here begins the book of the Lord's Wars God's battels The Scriptures are called the book of the Battels of the Lord. Numb 21. 〈◊〉 This is spoken of that holy enmity that is between Christ and the Devil and of Christ's destroying the Kingdom and power of Satan For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Heb. 2 14. God by way of threatning told Satan that the seed of the deceived woman should overmatch him at last and should break in pieces his power and crafty plots he gives Satan lieve to do his worst and proclaims an open and an utter enmity between Christ and him From this Scripture some conclude that Christ covenanted from Eternity to take upon him the seed of the woman and the sinless infirmities of our true humane nature and under those infirmities to enter the lists with Satan and to continue obedient through all his afflictions temptations and trials to the death even to the death of the cross And Phil. 2. 8 9. that God the father had covenanted with Christ that in case Christ did continue obedient through all his sufferings temptations and trials that then his obedience to the death should be accounted as full satisfaction to divine justice for all those wrongs and injuries that were done to God by the sins of man Christ must die or else he could not have been the Mediator of the new Covenant through death Heb. 9. 15 16. But The Second Sripture is that Isa 42. 6. The Lord hath The second Prooâ— called thee in righteousness and with hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people fâ—r a light of the gentiles Thus God speaks of Christ In this Chapter we have a glorious Prophecy of Christ our Redeemer here are four things prophâ—cied of him 1. The Divine call whereby he was appointed to the work of our Redemption vers 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles Jesus Christ would not yea he could not he durst not thrust himself upon this great work or engage in this great work 'till he had a clear call from heaven 2. Here you have the gracious carriage and deportment of Christ in the work to which he was called this is fully set down vers 2 3 4. He shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the street He shall come clothed with majesty and glory and yet full of meekness A bruised reed shall he not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth judgement unto truth In the words there is a Meiosis he will not break that is he will bind up the bruised reed he will comfort the bruised reed he will strengthen the bruised reed Christ will acknowledg and encourage the least degrees of grace he will turn a spark of grace into a flame a drop into a sea c. He shall not fail nor be discouraged These words shew his Kingly courage and magnanimity
come into the world assume our nature be made under the Law tread the Wine-press of the Father's wrath bear the Curse and give satisfaction to his Justice Now upon the credit of this promise upon this undertaking of Christ God the Father takes up the Patriarchs and all the Old Testament-believers to Glory God the Father resting upon the promise and engagement of his Son admits many thousands into those 〈…〉 on s above before Joh. 14. 2 3. Christ took Flesh upon him Now as tâ—â— Father of old hath rested and relyed on the promise and engagement of Christ so Jesus Christ doth to this very day â—â—st and stay himself upon the promise of his Father that he shall in Isa â—3 10. due time see all his seed and reap the full benefit of that full Ransom that he has paid down upon the nail for all that have believed on him that do believe on him and that shall believe on him Christ knew God's infinite Love his tender Compassions and his matchless Bowels to all those for whom he died And he knew very well the Covenant the Compact the Agreement that past between the Father and himself and so trusted the Father fully in the great business of their everlasting happiness and blessedness relying upon the love and faithfulness of God his love to the Elect and his faithfulness to keep Covenant with him As the Elect are committed to Christ's charge to give an account of them so also is the Father engaged for their conversion and for their preservation being converted As being not only his own Joh. 6. 37. Isa 53. 11. given to Christ out of his love to them but as being engaged to Christ that he shall not be frustrate of the reward of his Sufferings but have a Seed to glorifie him for ever Therefore doth Christ not only constantly preserve them by his Spirit but doth leave also that burden on the Father Father keep those whom thou hast given me Joh. 17. 11. But Fourthly Jesus Christ promises and engages himself to his Father that he would bear all and suffer all that should be laid upon him and that he would ransom poor sinners and fully satisfie Divine Justice by his blood and death as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Isa 5â— 5 6. Joh. 10. 17. 18. cap. 15. 10. Luk. 24. 46. Heb. 10. 5 6 7 10. I have opened these Scriptures already Margin together The work of Redemption could never have been effected by silver or gold or by prayers or tears or by the blood of Bulls or Goats but by the second Adam's obedience even to the death of the Cross Remission of sin the favour of God the heavenly Inheritance could never have been obtained but by the procious blood of the Son of God The innocent Lamb of God was slain in typical prefigurations from the beginning of the world and slain in real performance in the fulness of time or else fallen man had layen under guilt and wrath for ever The heart of Jesus Christ was strongly set upon all those that his Father had given him and he was fully resolved to secure them from Hell and the Curse whatever it cost him and seeing no price would satisfie his Father's Justice below his Blood he lays down his life at his Father's feet according to the Covenant and Agreement of old that had past between his Father and himself But Fifthly The Lord Jesus Christ was very free ready willing and careful to make good all the Articles of the Covenant on his side and to discharge all the works agreed Joh. 12. 49 50. cap. 17. 6. on for the Redemption and Salvation of the Elect Joh. 17. 4. I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do There was nothing committed to Christ by the Father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the Debt is paid Colos 2. 14 15. Heb. 2. 14. Justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled of all their hurting and destroying power By the Covenant of Redemption Christ was under an obligation to die to Dan. 9. 24. satisfie to Divine Justice to pay our debts to bring in an everlasting Righteousness to purchase our Pardon and Heb. 9. 12. to obtain eternal Redemption for us all which he compleated and finished before he ascended up to glory And Act. 1. 9 10 11. without a peradventure had not Jesus Christ kept touch with his Father had not he made good the Covenant the Compact the Agreement on his part his Father would never have given him such a welcome to heaven as he did nor he would never have admitted him to have sat down Heb. 1. 3. Rom. 8 34. Colâ—s â— 1. Hâ—b 8. 1. cap. 10. 12. 1 â—et 3. 22. on the right hand of the Majesty on high as he did The right hand is a place of the greatest honour dignity and safety that any can be advanced to But had not Jesus Christ first purged away our sins he had never sat down on the right hand of his Father Christ's advancement is properly Mat. 26. 64. Act. 7. 56. of his Humane Nature That Nature wherein Christ was crucified was exalted for God being the Most High needs not be exalted yet the Humane Nature in this exaltation is not singly and simply considered in it self but as united to the Deity so that it is the Person consisting of two Natures even God-man which is thus dignified For as the Humane Nature of Christ is inferiour to God and is capable of advancement so also is the person consisting of a Divine and Humane Nature Christ as the Son of God the second Person of the sacred Trinity is in regard of his Deity no whit inferiour to his Father but every way equal yet he assumed our nature and became a Mediator betwixt God man he humbled himself and made himself inferiour to his Father his Father therefore hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 8 9. and set him down on his right hand If Christ had not Eph. 1. 20. expiated our sins and compleated the work of our Redemption he could never have sat down on the right hand of God Heb. 10. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God This verse is added in opposition to the former as is evident by the first Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in the former verse it was proved that the Sacrifices which were offered under the Law could not take away sins This verse proveth that there is a Sacrifice which hath done that that they could not do The Argument is taken from that Priest's ceasing to offer any more Sacrifices after he had offered one whereby is implyed that there needed no other because that one had done it to the full sin was taken away by Christ's Sacrifice for thereby a Ransom was paid
Christ was manifested to be a true man he had a body like ours a body subject to manifold infirmities yea to death it self That body which Christ had is said to be prepared by God the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated prepared is a Metaphor from Mechanicks who do artificially fit one part of their work to another and so finish the whole God fitted his son's body to be joyned with the Deity and to be an expiatory sacrifice for sin The word prepared implies that God the father ordained formed and made fit and able Christ's humane nature to undergo suffer and fulfil that for which he was sent into the world God the father is here said to have prepared Christ a body because Christ having received of his father the humane nature out of the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Mat. 1. 20. Luk 1. 31. 35. Holy Ghost here gives up the same unto the service of his father to do to suffer to die that he might be a sacrifice of expiation for our sins As for the words of the Psalmist Psal 40. 6. Mine ear hast thou opened Heb. digged open It is a proverbial manner of speech whereby there is implyed the qualifying or fitting a man unto obedience in service the ear or the opening of the ear Isa 50 5. Job 3. 16. being an emblem or symbol or a Metaphorical sign of obedience Now St. Paul following the translation of the Septuagint and being directed by the spirit of God expounds this of God's sanctifying and fitting a body unto Christ wherein hs was obedient even unto the shameful death of the Cross These words thou hast bored through mine ears do import that Christ now becoming man gives up himself to be a willing servant of his father to obey him unto the death of the cross And it is a similitude taken from the servants of the Hebrews who after that they had served their masters six years would not depart out of their master's service the seventh year but abide in it continually until death for a testimony whereof their ear was bored thorow on the posts of the door as may be seen Exod. 21. 6. It is therefore as much as if he should say thou hast given me a body that is willing and ready in thy service even unto death But to conclude this head the Apostle speaking of disanulling the sacrifice of the Law he uses this word body to set out a sacrifice which should come in stead of the legal sacrifices to effect that which the legal sacrifices could not effect But Fourthly Observe that Christ our Mediator freely and readily offers himself to be our pledg and surety Then said I lo I come to wit as surety to pay the ransome and to do thy will O God Every word carrieth a special emphasis as 1. The time Then even so soon as he perceived that his father had prepared his body for such an end then without delay this speed implyeth forwardness and readiness he would lose no opportunity 2. His profession in this word said I he did not closely secretly timorously as being ashamed thereof but he maketh profession before-hand 3. This note of observation Lo this is a kind of calling Angels and men to witness and a desire that all might know his inward intention and the disposition of his heart wherein was as great a willingness as any could have to any thing 4. An offering of himself without any enforcement or compulsion this he manifesteth in this word I come 5. That very instant set out in the present tense I come he puts it not off to a future and uncertain time but even in that moment he saith I come 6. The first person twice expressed thus I said I come he sendeth not another person nor substituteth any in his room but he even he himself in his own person cometh All which do abundantly evidence Christ's singular readiness and willingness as our surety to do his father's will though it were by suffering and by being made a sacrifice for our sins God's will was the rule of Christ's active and passive obedience Jesus Christ our only Mediatour and surety by free and ready obedience and death did make a proper real and full satisfaction to God's justice for the sins of all the Elect. Christ hath by his death and blood as an invaluable price of our redemption made sure the favour of God the pardon of our sins and the salvation of our souls Christ hath freed his chosen from all temporal spiritual and eternal punishments properly so called so that now the mercy of God may embrace the sinner without the least of wrong to his truth or justice But Fifthly Observe that Jesus Christ our surety does not only agree with his father about the price that he was to lay down for our redemption but also agrees with his father about the persons that were to be redeemed and their sanctification Heb. 10. 10. By the which will that is by the execution of which will by the obedience of Christ to his heavenly father we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Jesus Christ agrees with the father that all those shall be sanctified for whom he has suffered and satisfied The vertue efficacy and benefit of that which ariseth from the aforesaid will of the father and of the son is expressed under this word sanctified To pass by the notation and divers acceptations of this word sanctified let it suffice to tell you It is not here to be taken as distinguished from justification or glorification as it is else where taken but 1 Cor. 1. 30. cap. 6. 11. so as comprising under it all the benefits of Christ's sacrifice In this general and large extent it is sometimes Heb. 10. 14. cap. 2. 11. A◠26. 18. taken only this word sanctified here gives us to understand that perfection consisteth especially in holiness for he expresseth the perfection of Christ's sacrifice under the word sanctified which implyeth a making holy this Eccles 7. 31. was that special part of perfection wherein man was made at first and whereunto the Apostle alludeth where Eph. 4. 2◠he exhorteth To put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness for this end Christ gave himself even unto death for his Church that he might sanctifie it The principal thing under this Eph. 5. 25. word sanctified in this place is that Christ's sacrifice maketh perfect in this respect Christ's sacrifice is here opposed to the legal sacrifices which could not make perfect So that Christ's sacrifice was offered up to do that which they could not do for this end was Christ's sacrifice surrogated in the room of the legal sacrifices now this surrogation had been in vain if Christ's sacrifice had not made us perfect if the dignity of his person that was offered up and his
eternal act of oblivion upon them and utterly bury them in the grave of oblivion as if they had never been The sins that are forgiven by God are forgotten by God the sins that God remits he removes from his remembrance Hâ—b 10. 13 to 19. cap. 10. 1 to 15. Christ hath so fully satisfied the justice of God for the sins of all his seed by the price of his own blood and death that there needs no more expiatory sacrifices to be offered for their sins for ever Christ hath by the sacrifice of himself blotted out the remembrance of his peoples sins with God for ever The New Covenant runs thus And their sinful errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo escar guhod I will Jer. 31. 34. not remember any more but the Greek runs thus And their sinful errours and their unrighteousnesses I will not remember Heb. 8. 12. again or any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are two negatives which do more vehemently deny according to the propriety of the Greek Language that is I will never remember them again I will in no case remember them any more I will so forgive as to forget Not that in propriety of phrase God either remembers or forgets for all things are present to him he knows all things he beholds he sees he observes all things by one eternal and simple act of his knowledg which is no way capable of change as now knowing and anon forgetting but it s an allusion to the manner of men who when they forgive injuries fully and heartily do also forget them blot them out of mind or rather as some think its an allusion to the manner of the old Covenants administration in the Sacrifices where there was a remembrance again Heb. 10. 1 2 3 c. of sins every year there was a fresh indictment and arraignment of the people for sin continually But under this New Covenant our Lord Jesus Christ hath by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified Christ See from vers 5. to vers 20. hath for ever taken away the sins of the Elect there needs no more expiatory sacrifice for them they that are sprinkled with the blood of this sacrifice shall never have their sins remembred any more against them God 's not remembring or forgetting a thing is not simply to be taken of his essential knowledge but respectively of his judicial knowledg to bring the same into Judgment not to remember a thing that was once known and was in mind and memory is to forget it but this properly is not incident to God it is an infirmity To him all things past and future are as present what he once knoweth he always knoweth his memory is his very essence neither can any thing that hath once been in it slip out of it For God to remit sin is not to remember it and not to remember it is to remit it These are two reciprocal propositions therefore they are thus joyned together I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no Jer. 31. 34. Isa 43. 25. more I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins To remember implyeth a four-fold act 1. To lay up in the mind what is conceived thereby 2. To hold it fast 3. To call it to mind again 4. Oft to think of it Now in that God saith I will remember their iniquities no more he implyeth that he will neither lay them up in his mind nor there hold them nor call them again to mind nor think on them but that they shall be to him as if they had never been committed God's discharge of their sins shall be a full discharge such sinners shall never be called to account for them both the guilt and the punishment of them shall be fully and everlastingly removed Let the sins of a believer be what they will for nature Mat. 12. 31. â—sa 55. 7. Jer. 31. 12. Ezk. 18. 22. â—sal 32. 2. Rom. 4 8. Now if God will not remember nor mention his peoples sins then we may safely and roundly infer that either there is no Purgatory or else that God severely punishes those sins in Purgatory which he remembers not and never so many for number they shall all be blotted out they shall never be mentioned more 1. God will never remember he will never mention their sins so as to impute them or charge them upon his people 2. God will never remember he will never mention their sins any more so as to upbraid his people with their follies or miscarriages He will never hit them in the teeth with their sins he will never cast their weaknesses into their dish when persons are justified their sins shall be as if they had not been God will bid them welcome into his presence and embrace them in his arms and will never object to them their former unkindness unfruitfulness unthankfulness vileness stubbornness wickedness as you may plainly see in the return of the Prodigal and his father's deportment towards him Luk. 15. 20 21 22 23. When he was a great way off The Prodigal was but conceiving a purpose to return and God met him The very intention and secret motions and close purposes of our hearts are known to God The old Father sees a great way off dim eyes can see a great way when the Son is the object his father saw him and had compassion His bowels rowl within him the Father not only sees but commiscrates and compassionates the returning Prodigal as he did Ephraim of old My bowels Jer. 31. 20. are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him or as the Hebrew runs I will having mercy have mercy have mercy on him or I will abundantly have mercy on him Look saith God here is a poor prodigal returning to me the poor child is come back he hath smarted enough he hath suffered enough I will bid him welcome I will forgive him all his high offences and will never hit him in the teeth with his former vanities And ran The feet of mercy are swift to meet a returning sinner It had been sufficient for him to have stood being old and a Father but the Father runs to the Son And fell on his neck He cannot stay and embrace him or take him by the hand but he falls upon him and incorporates himself into him How open are the arms of mercy to embrace the returning sinner and lie him in the bosom of love and kissed him Free rich and soveraign mercy hath not only feet to meet us and arms to clasp us but also lips to kiss us one would have thought that he should rather have kicked him or killed him than have kissed him But God is pater miserationum he is all bowels All this while the father speaks not one word his joy was too great to be uttered he ran he fell on his neck and kissed him and
such a soul as if he had perfectly fulfilled the Law Where the heart is sincerely resolved to obey there it does obey an heart to obey is our obeying a heart to do is our doing a heart to believe is our believing a heart to repent is our repenting a heart to wait is our waiting a heart to suffer is our suffering a heart to pray is our praying a heart to hear is our hearing a heart to give feed cloath visit is our giving feeding cloathing visiting a heart to walk circumspectly is our walking circumspectly a heart to work righteousness is our working righteousness a heart to shew mercy is our shewing mercy a heart to sympathise with others is our sympathising with others He that sincerely desire and resolves to keep the commandments of God he does keep the commandments of God and he that truly desires and resolves to walk in the statutes of God he does walk in the statutes of God In God's account and God's acceptation every believer every sincere Christian is as wise holy humble heavenly spiritual watchful faithful fruitful useful thankful joyful c. as he desires to be as he resolves to be and as he endeavours to be and this is the glory of the New Covenant and the happiness that we gain by dear Jesus And my friends it is remarkable that our inchoate partial and very imperfect obedience is frequently set forth in the blessed Scriptures by our fulfilling Luk. 10. 25 26 27. of the Law Take a few places for a taste Rom. 2. 27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfil the Law judg thee c. Rom. 13. 8. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law Vers 10. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Not to love is to do ill and to break the Law but love is the fulfilling of it Non potest peccari per illam quae legis est perfectio we cannot do ill by that Amâ— in 〈◊〉 which is the perfection and the fulfilling of the Law Love is the summ of the law love is the perfection of the law and were love perfect in us it would make us perfect keepers of the Law Love works the Saints to keep the law in desires and endeavours with care and study to observe it in perfection of parts though not in perfection of degrees Gal. 5. 14. All the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbours as thy self Gal. 6. 2. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ Now in this sence that is under consideration the Saints in themselves even in this life do keep the Royal Law Now from what has been said a believer may form up this Plea Oh blessed God in Christ my head I have perfectly and compleatly kept thy Royal Law and in my own person I have Evangelically kept thy Royal Law in respect of my sincere dosires purposes resolutions and endeavours to keep it And this Evangelical keeping in Christ and in the New Covenant thou art pleased to accept of and art well satisfied with it I know that breaches made in the first Covenant were irreparable but breaches made in the Covenant of Grace are not so because this Covenant is established in Christ who is still a making up all breaches Now this is my Plea O holy God and by this Plea I shall stand Well saith God I cannot in honour or justice but accept of this Plea and therefore enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. The Tenth plea that a believer may form up as to the Ten Scriptures that are in the margin that refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular Eâ—cleâ— 11 9. cap. 12 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap 18. 23. Luk 16. 2. 〈◊〉 14 1â— 2 Cor 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 â—et 4 5. account may be drawn up from the consideration of that compact covenant and agreement that was solemnly made between God and Christ touching the whole business of man's salvation or redemption We may present it to our understanding in this form God the Father saith to Christ the Mediatour I look upon Adam and his posterity as a degenerate seed a Generation of Vipers of Apostates and Back-sliders yea Traitors and Rebels liable to all temporal spiritual and eternal judgments yet I cannot find in my heart to damn them all Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I Hos â—1 9 10. will not execute the fierceness of mine anger for I am God and not man And therefore I have determined to shew Rev. 7. 9 10. mercy upon many millions of them and save them from wrath to come and to bring them to glory but this I must do with a salvo to my Law Justice and Honour If therefore thou wilt undertake for them and become a Gal 3. 10 13. Joh. 17. 2 6 11. curse for their sakes and so make satisfaction to my justice for their sins I will give them unto thee to take care of them and to bring them up to my kingdom for the manifestation of the glory of my Grace Well saith Christ I am content I will do all thou requirest with all my heart and so the agreement is made between thee and me this may be gathered from the Scriptures in the margin Psal 2 7 8. 9. â—sal 40. 6 7 8. Christ the son speaks in both places In the first he publisheth the decree or ordinance of heaven touching himself and bringeth in the Father enstalling him into the Priesthood or office of Mediator for so the Apostle applieth that Text Heb. 5. 5. Thou art my son c. and also avoucheth this Covenant and agreement in the two main parts of it First The condition which he will have performed on Christ's part as Mediator or what Christ must do as Consider Christ in the capacity of a Mediator for so only he covenanted with the father for the salvation of mankind Mediator He must ask of God that is not only verbally by prayers and supplications beg mercy pardon righteousness and salvation for poor lost sinners but also really by fulfilling the righteousness of the Law both in doing and suffering and so by satisfaction and merit purchasing acceptation for them at his hands The Father engaged so and so to Christ and Christ reciprocally engaged so and so to the Father a considerable part of the terms and matter of which Covenant is set down Isa 53. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed c. The Father Covenants to do thus and thus for fallen man but first in order thereunto the Son must covenant to take man's nature therein to satisfie offended justice to repair and vindicate his father's honour c. Well he submits assents to these demands indents and covenants to make all good and this was the substance of the Covenant of Redemption But Secondly
be transferred upon our Lord Jesus Christ But Thirdly Observe with me That no sin nor meritorious cause of punishment is found in Jesus Christ our blessed Redeemer for which he should be stricken smitten and afflicted by God vers 5. 9. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed He had done no violence neither was any deceipt in his mouth Sin had cast God and us at infinite 1 Pet. 1 18 19. Rom. 3. 25. cap. 5. 1 10. 2 Ceâ— 5. 19 21. Co 〈…〉 1. 19 22. distance Now Christ is punished that our sins may be pardoned he is chastised that God and we may be reconciled Guilt stuck close upon us but Christ by the price of his blood hath discharged that guilt pacified divine wrath and made God and us friends God the father laid upon dear Jesus all the punishments that were due to the Elect for whom he was a pledg and by this means they come to be acquitted and to obtain peace with God Christ was holy harmless and undefiled no man Heb. 7. 26. Jâ—â— 8. 46. cap. 14. 30. 1. Jâ—â— 3. 5. could convince him of sin yea the Devil himself could find nothing amiss in him either as to word or deed Christ was without original blemish or actuall blot All Christ's words and works were upright just and sincere Christ's innocency is sufficiently vindicated vers 9. 'T is true Christ suffered great and grievous things but not for his own sins For he had done no violence neither was any deceit found in his mouth But for ours Christ had now put himself in the sinner's stead and was become his surety and so obnoxious to whatever the sinner had deserved in his own person and upon this account and no other was he wounded bruised and chastised The Lord. Jesus had no sin in him by inhesion but he had a great deal of sin upon him by imputation He was made 2 Cor. 5. 21. sin that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him It pleased our Lord Jesus Christ to put himself under our guilt and therefore it pleased the father to wound him bruise him and chastise him But Fourthly Observe with me That peace and reconciliation with God and the healing of all our sinful maladies 1 Thâ—s ◠〈…〉 1 â—et 1. 18 19. Râ—m 3. 25. cap. 5. 1 16. 2 Cor. 5. 19 21. our deliverance from wrath to come are all such noble favours as are purchased for us by the blood of Christ vers 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Christ was chastised to procure our peace by removal of our sins that set God and us asunder the guilt thereof being discharged with the price of his blood and we reconciled to God by the same price Christ was punished that we by him might obtain perfect peace with God who was at enmity with us by reason of our sins by Christ's stripes we are freed both from sin and punishment Now because some produce this Scripture to justifie that corrupt doctrine of universal Redemption give me leave to argue thus from it That chastisement for sin that was laid upon the person of Jesus Christ procured peace for them for whom he was so chastised but there was no peace procured for the reprobates Isa 57. 21. Eph. 2. 14. or those who should never believe ergo Further by his stripes we are healed Whence I reason thus the stripes inflicted upon Christ are intended and do become healing medicines for them for whom they are inflicted but they never become healing medicines for reprobates or unbelievers Nahum 3. 9. There is no healing of their bruise Ergo. But Fifthly Observe with me that the great and the grievous sufferings that were inflicted upon Jesus Christ he did endure freely willingly meekly patiently according to the Covenant and agreement that was made between the father and himself vers 7. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth This is a very pregnant place to prove the satisfaction made by Christ's sufferings for our sins If we look upon the words as they run in the original for thus they run It was exacted and he answered that is the penalty due to God's justice for our sins was exacted of Christ and he sustained the same for us The Prophet doth not speak of one and the same party or parties both sinning and suffering or sustaining penalties for their own defaults but as one suffering for the sins of another and sustaining grievous penalties for faults made and faults committed by other persons The words rightly read and understood do sufficiently confirm the doctrine of satisfaction made to God's justice by Christ's sufferings for our sins the penalty due to us was in rigour of justice exacted of him and he became a sponsor or surety for us by undertaking in our behalf the discharge of it Christ did voluntarily undertake and â—ngage himself unto God his father in our behalf as a surety for the payment of all our debts they were exacted of him and he answered for them all that is he not only undertook them but he also discharged us of them so we use the word commonly in our English Tongue to answer a debt for to discharge it And this is most true of our dear Lord Jesus for he answered our debt and caused our bond to be cancelled Joh. 19 30. Rom. 4. 25. Câ—l â— 2. 14. that it might never come to be put in suit against us either in this or that other world Yet he opened not his mouth this has respect to his patience for the oppressions and afflictions that he sustained for others and that in regard of those by whom he suffered them unjustly yet was he silent he neither murmured or repined at God's disposal of things in that manner nor used any railing or reviling speeches against those that dealt so despightfully with him but carried himself calmly and quietly under them Christ having an eye to his voluntary obedience and submission Mat. 26. 39 42. Mark 14. 36. Joh. 18. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 23. to the will of his father and agreement thereunto he undertook willingly what his father required of him and as willingly when the time came underwent it neither hanging back or opposing ought in way of contradiction thereunto when it was by his father propounded to him at first nor afterward seeking to shift it off when he was to perform what he had engaged himself unto by pleading ought for himself and the releasment of him from their most unjust proceedings in whose hands he then was He opened not his mouth to confute the slanders and false accusations of his enemies neither did he
the work of our Redemption Christ's being called the surety of the better Covenant shews that there was Heb. 7. 22. a Covenant between God the father and him as there is between a creditour and a sutety Christ gave bonds as it were to God the father and payed down the debt upon the nail that breaches might be made up between God and us and we restored to divine favour for ever But for the further clearing up of the Covenant of Redemption I shall in the second place lay down these propositions And The first is this That the Covenant of Redemption The First Proposition differs from the Covenant of Grace 'T is true the Covenant of Redemption is a Covenant of Grace but 't is not properly that Covenant of Grace which the Scripture holds out in opposition to the Covenant of works which I shall thus evidence 1. The Covenant of Redemption differs from the Covenant of Grace in regard of the Federates in the Covenant of Redemption 't is God the father and Jesus Christ that mutually covenant but in the Covenant of Grace the confederates are God and believers 2. In the Covenant of Redemption God the father requires of Jesus Christ that he should suffer shâ—d his blood die and make himself an offering for our sins In the Covenant of Grace God requires of us that we should believe and embrace the Lord Jesus 3. In the Covenant of Redemption God the father has made many great precious and glorious promises to Jesus Christ As sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool Heâ— 1. 13. Isa 53. 10. And he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands And Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal 2. 8. and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Heb. 1. 5. Psal 84. 11. Ezek. 36. 26 27. And I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son But in the Covenant of Grace God promises to us Grace and glory holiness and happiness both the upper and the lower springs 4. The Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ secures the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and believers for what God promises to us he did Tit. 1. 2. before the foundation of the world promise to Jesus Christ and therefore if God the father should not make good his promises to his Saints he would not make good his promises to his dearest son which for any to imagine would be high Blasphemy God will be sure to keep touch with Jesus Christ and therefore we may rest fully assured that he will not fail to keep touch with us 5. The Covenant of Redemption is the very basis or bottom of the Covenant of Grace God made a Covenant with Christ the spiritual David that he might make a Covenant Psal 89. 3 4. Râ—â— 11. 26 27. with all his Elect in him he made this agreement with Christ as the head and on this is reared up the whole frame of precious promises comprised in the Covenant of Grace as a goodly building upon a sure foundation But The second Proposition is this God the father in order The Second Proposition to man's Redemption and Salvation stands stiffly and peremptorily upon compleat satisfaction without full satisfaction no remission no salvation Satisfaction God will have to the utmost though it cost Christ his life and blood Man is fallen from his primitive purity glory Rom. 8. 32. and excellency and by his fall he hath provoked divine justice transgressed God's righteous Law and cast a deep dishonour upon his name the case standing thus God is resolved to have ample satisfaction in the reparation of this honour in the manifestation of his truth and in the vindication of his holiness and justice All the attributes of God are alike dear to him and he stands as much upon the advance of his justice as he does upon the glory of his Grace and therefore he will not remit one sin yea not the least sin without entire satisfaction In this God the father is fixt that he will have an offering for Isa 53. 10. 1 â—â—m 2. 6. sin in an expiatory and propitiatory way a price and a ransom he will have paid down upon the nail or else the captive sinner shall-never be released pardoned saved Now lost man being wholly uncapable of giving such a satisfaction to Divine Justice Christ must give it or fallen man must perish for ever Sin and sorrow iniquity and misery always go hand in hand The wages of sin is Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 1. 32. death Every sinner is worthy of death They which commit such things are worthy of death If God be a just and righteous God then sin cannot absolutely escape unpunished for it is but a just and righteous thing with God to punish the sinner who is worthy of punishment It is a righteous thing with God saith the Apostle to recompence 2 Thes 1. 6. tribulation to them that trouble you And as God cannot but be just so he cannot but be true and if he cannot but be true then he cannot but make good his threatnings against sin and sinners The word is gone out of his mouth In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely Gen. 2. 17. die And the soul which sins shall die Look as there Eâ—â—k 18. 4. is not a promise of God but shall take place in time so there is not a threatning of God but shall take place in time The faithfulness of God and the honour of God is as much concerned in making good of terrible threatnings 2 Pet. 1. 4. as they are concerned in making good of precious promises God has given it under his own hand That he will by no means clear the guilty And that the soul that Exod. 34. 7. Ezek. 18. 20. Rom. 2. 6. sinneth shall surely die And that the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him And that he will render to every man according to his deeds And will God abrogate his own laws or will he dare men to sport and play with his threatnings Will not every wise and prudent Prince look to the execution of their own Laws and shall not Isa 40. 28. Isal 147. 5. that God who is wonderful in wisdom and whose understanding is infinite see all his Laws put in execution against offenders surely yes Thus you see that God stands upon full satisfaction and will admit of no treaty of peace with fallen man without it Now sorry man is never able either by doing or suffering to compensate and make God amends for the wrong and injury that he has done to God by his sin and therefore one that is able by doing and suffering to give compleat satisfaction must undertake it or else we are lost cast and undone in both worlds Concerning that full and
Justice be satisfied and divine wrath pacified yet the Devil will not let his captives go therefore Christ by a strong hand wrests us out of Satan's power and destroys him that had the power of death Heb. 2. 24 25. that is the devil The Ransom which Christ paid was the ground of man's full and eternal Redemption for by satisfaction of justice way was made to pacifie wrath both which being accomplished the Devil lost his right and power over such as he held in bondage This Redemption is a full freedom from all misery and compriseth under it reconciliation justification sanctification and salvation By this Redemption divine justice is satisfied wrath pacified grace procured and all spiritual enemies vanquished The perfection of this Redemption is hinted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this word eternal the eternity here meant hath a special respect to the continual duration thereof without end yet also it respecteth the time past so as it looks backward and forward It implieth a vertue and efficacy from the beginning of the world for Christ was a lamb slain from the foundation of the world Christ himself Rev. 13. 8. Rev. 1. 8. is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and which was and which is to come Now that which is spoken of the person of Christ may very well be applied to our Redemption by Christ This Epithete Eternal is here added to Redemption in opposition to the legal purifications which were momentary and temporary They had a day and endured no longer than the time of reformation On this ground by just and necessary consequence it followeth that the Redemption wrought by Christ is absolutely perfect and that there is no need of any other This being eternal all that have been all that shall be redeemed have been and shall be redeemed by it and they who are redeemed by it need no other means The liberty whereinto Christ Jesus brings the Elect is permanent and lasting it abides irremoveable and unchangeable to all Eternity The Jews which had sold themselves to be servants were to be set free at the Jubilee yet the Jubilee lasted but for one year Levit. 25. therefore the same persons might afterwards become bondmen again But this acceptable year of the Lord 's Isa 61. 2. cap. 63. 4. redeemed is an everlasting year it shall never end therefore they shall never be subject to bondage any more It is observable that when the Lord would comfort the Jews with hopes of a return from Babilon he usually annexed Evangelical promises respecting the deliverance of poor sinners from the slavery of Satan whereof that captivity was a Type some of which promises do plainly express the perpetuity of that spiritual freedom which they shall enjoy Take a taste Isa 35. 10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs See also Jer. 32. 39. Ezek. 37. 25 26 27 28. cap. 39. 29. and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isa 51. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoak and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner but my salvation shall be for ever and my righteousness shall not be abolished Isa 60. 19 20. The sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended Jer. 31. 11 12. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion and their soul shall be as a watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all But The Fifth excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ is this viz. It is an enriching Redemption it is a Redemption that makes men rich in spiritual blessings in heavenly places There are many choice Eph. 1. 3. and rare spiritual benefits that wait and attend on Redemption that go hand in hand with Redemption As Rom. 5. 1. cap. 3. 24 25. reconciliation remission of our sins justification of our persons adoption sanctification full glorification we have some fore-tastes of it in this life here we have the first fruits of the spirit but in the morning of the Resurrection Rom. 8. 23 30. we shall reap the whole harvest of glory It 's called by way of eminency the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1. 9. Redemption and the noble benefits attending on it are Salvation begun but in heaven this shall be salvation consummate Redemption is a rich Mine containing a Mass of Treasure that cannot be valued could we dig into it could we pry into it we might find variety of the choicest Jewels and Pearls in comparison whereof all the riches of the Indies all the Gold of Ophir and all the precious Jewels and most orient Pearls that are in the world are no better than dross I have read of Tiberius the Emperour that passing by a place where he saw a cross lying in the ground upon a Marble stone and causing the stone to be digged up he found a great treasure under the Cross But what was this treasure but a great nothing to that treasure that is wrap'd up in our Redemption by Christ What the Lord said once to his anointed Cyrus a temporal deliverer of his people the same he hath spoken and much more to his Anointed Jesus the greater Saviour and Redeemer of his Church I will give thee the treasures of darkness the hidden riches of secret Isa 43. 3. See my Treatise called The Vnsearchable Ruâ—es of Christ places There are unsearchable riches in Jesus Christ in him are riches of Grace of all Grace in him are riches of justification and riches of sanctification and riches of consolation and riches of glorification Would you share in the best of riches would you share in the most durable riches would you share in soul riches would you share in heavenly riches O! then secure your interest in the Redemption that is by Jesus Christ But The sixth and last excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ is this viz. It is a Redemption sweetning Redemption it is such a Redemption as sweetens all other Redemptions 't is Redemption by Christ that sweetens our Redemption out of this trouble and that out of this affliction and that out of this danger and that out of this sickness and that out of this bondage and that Redemption by Christ is like that tree which Moses cast into the bitter Exed
everlasting life for it is explained that not to lose them vers 39. is that they may have everlasting life for the further assurance of believers of their eternal happiness it is also covenanted that they shall have this life in present possession in the earnest and first fruits thereof for they have everlasting life even here and before their raising up They have everlasting life 1. in prâ—misso 2. in pretio 3. in primltiis he stands already on the battlements of heaven he hath one foot in the porch of Paradise Again Christ having given an earnest-penny of salvation will not suffer it to be lost by any difficulty or impediment in the way but will carry believers through all difficulties till he destroy death and the grave and raise up their very dust that in body and soul they may partake of that bliss and that he may make it manifest that death and rotting in the grave doth not make void his interest nor cause his affection to cease Therefore it is added And I will raise him up at the last day Thus you see that God the father did lay his commands upon his son to engage in this great work of redeeming and saving poor sinners souls c. In the third place I shall shew you that the manner or quality of the transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ was by mutual engagements and stipulations each person undertaking to perform his part in order to our recovery and eternal felicity we find each person undertaking for himself by solemn promise The father promiseth that he will hold Christ's hand and keep him Isa 42. 6. God the father engages himself to direct and assist Christ and to keep him from miscarrying and that he will give him all necessary strength and ability for the execution of his mediatory office and work wonders by him and with him according to that word My father hitherto worketh and I work and the son engages Joh. 5. 17. himself that he will obey the fathers call and not be rebellious Isa 50. 5. I was not rebellious neither turned away Exod. 3. 11 13. cap. 4. 1 10 13. back that is I did not hang back as Moses once and again did nor refuse to go when God sent me as once Jon. 1. 3. Jon. â—s did but I offered my self freely and readily to my father's call there was no affliction no opposition no persecution no evil usage that I met with in carrying on the work of Redemption that did ever startle me or discourage me or make me flinch or shrink back from that great and blessed work that I had undertaken I was dutiful and obedient to the calls commands of my father in all things that he required of me or set me about Now the father the son being thus mutually engaged by promise one to another in honour and faithfulness it highly concerned them to keep one another close to the terms of the Covenant that was made between them and accordingly they did for God the father peremptorily stands upon that compleat and full satisfaction that Christ had promised to give to his justice and therefore when the day of payment came he would not abate Jesus Christ one penny one farthing of the many ten thousand Talents that he Mat. 18. 24. was to pay down upon the nail for us Rom. 8. 32. God spared not his own son that is he abated nothing of that full price that by agreement with his father he was to lay down for us other fathers give their all to spare and redeem their children but the heart of God the father is so fully and strongly set upon satisfaction that he will not spare his son his own son his only son but give him up to death yea to an accursed death that we might be Mauritius who died most miserably spared and saved for ever I have read of a Roman Emperour who chose rather to spare his money than to redeem his souldiers being taken prisoners But to redeem us God would not spare no not his own son because no money nor treasure would serve the turn but only the blood yea the heart-blood of his dear son 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And as God the father keeps Christ close to the terms of the Covenant so Jesus Christ keeps his father close to the terms of the Covenant also Joh. 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth saith Christ to his father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was O my father I have finished the work of Redemption but where 's the wages where 's the glory where 's the reward that thou hast promised me There was nothing committed to Christ by the father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the debt is paid justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled so that nothing remains but that Christ be glorified according to the promise of the father to him The summ of Christ's petition is this that since he had finished the work of Redemption that therefore the father according to his engagement would advance him to the possession of that glory that he enjoyed from all eternity Now for the clearing of this we must consider that as Christ was from Eternity the glorious God so we are not to conceive of any real change in this glory of his Godhead as if by his estate of humiliation he had suffered any diminution or by his state of exaltation any real accession were made to his glory as God But the true meaning is this That Christ having according to the paction past betwixt the father and him obscured the glory of his Godhead for a time under the veil of the Phil. 2. 5 6 7 8. form of a servant and our sinless infirmities doth now expect according to the tenour of the same paction after he had done his work to be exalted and glorified and openly declared to be the son of God the veil of his estate Rom. 1. 4. of humiliation though not of our nature being taken away It is further to be considered that however this eternal glory be proper to him as God yet he prays to be glorified in his whole person Glorifie me because not only his humane nature was to be exalted to what glory finite nature was capable of but the glory of his Godhead was to shine in the person of Christ God-man and in the man Christ though without confusion of his natures and properties Christ did so faithfully discharge his trust and perfect the work of Redemption as that the father was engaged by paction to glorifie him and accordingly Christ God incarnate is exalted with the father in glory and majesty so that believers may be as sure that all things necessary for their Redemption are done as
comparison which is the application thereof this application may have reference either to the general proposition thus As no man taketh this honour unto himself so also nor Christ Or to the particular instance of Aaron thus As Aaron took not to himself that honour so nor Christ both tend to the same end The High Priesthood was an honour for Christ to have taken that to himself without a Commission from his father had been to glorifie himself by conferring glory and honour upon himself This negative that Christ glorified not himself is a clear evidence that Christ arrogated no honour to himself Christ would not arrogate honour to himself but rather wait upon his father that he might confer upon him what honour he saw meet Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but his father glorified him in ordaining or commissionating him to be the High Priest In short to be made an High Priest is to be deputed or appointed and set a part to that function And thus was our Lord Jesus Christ made an High Priest he had never undertaken that office had he not been ordained to it by his father But that you may see Christ's threefold commission to his three-fold office Consider First That God the father promiseth to Jesus Christ 1. Heb. 2. 17 18. Psal 110. 4. an excellent royal and eternal Priesthood Heb. 7. 21. For those priests were made without an oath but this with an oath by him that said unto him the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek Among the Jews in the times of the Old Testament they had an High Priest that was in all things to stand between God and them and in case any sinned to make an atonement for them Now look as the Jews had their High Priest so the Lord Jesus-Christ he was to be and he is the Apostle and the High Priest of our Christian profession as Aaron was of the Jews profession The Priestly office of Jesus Christ is erected and set up on Heb. 3. 1. By theâ— way you may take notice that the whole body of Anti-christianism is but an invasion upon the Priestly office of Christ What is the Popish Mass that unbloody sacrifice but a derogation from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ once upon the Cross and so a derogation from his Priestly Office What are all those Popish Penances and satisfactions injoyned but a derogation unto the satisfaction of Christ and so unto the Priestly office of Christ What is all their praying to Saints and Angels but a derogation unto the intercession of Christ and so unto the Priestly office God deputes Christ to his Priestly office as God and man yet Papists say that Christ is a Priest only in his humane nature God saith to his son Thou art a priest yet they make many Priests God makes his Son a Priest for ever yet they substitute others in his room God gave Christ to offer up but one sacrifice and that but once but they every day offer up many sacrifices in the Mass God gave Christ to offer up himself but they offer up bread and wine upon pretence that its the body and blood of Christ Christ's sacrifico was a bloody sacrifice but they stile theirs an unbloody sacrifice purpose for the relief of poor distressed sinners The work of the High Priest is to make reconciliation for the sins of the people In the times of the Old Testament the High Priest made an atonement for the people in case any man had sinned he brought a sacrifice his sins were laid upon the head of the sacrifice Once every year the High Priest did enter into the holy of holies and with the blood of the sacrifice did sprinkle the Mercy-Seat and laid the sins of the people upon the head of the Scape-Goat so made an Atonement for the people as is clear in that Levit. 16. 14. He shall take of the blood of the Bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the Mercy-seat eastward and before the Mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times And at vers 21. Aaron shall lye both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions and all their sins putting them upon the head of the Goat and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness and so he shall make an Atonement This was the work of the High Priest in case any had sinned to make an Atonement and satisfaction by the way of Type for the sins of the people The main scope of the Apostle in that Heb. 7. is to advance Christ his Priesthood above the Levitical Priesthood in order to which he premiseth this That those priests were made without an oath vers 20 The Apostle's third Argument to prove the excellency of Christ's Priestood above the Levitical is taken from the different manner of instituting the one and the other Christ's institution was more solemn than the Levites their institution was without an oath Christ's institution was with an oath The Argument may be thus framed That Priesthood which is established by an oath is more excellent than that which is without an oath but Christ's Priesthood is with an oath and theirs without Ergo It is here taken for granted that Christ was most solemnly instituted a Priest even by an oath yea by the oath of God himself which is the greatest and most solemn manner of institution that can be God's oath imports two things 1. An infallible certainty of that which he sweareth 2. A solemn authority and dignity conferred upon that which he instituted by oath Great and weighty matters of much concernment use to be established by oath hereby it appeareth that Christ's Priesthood is a matter of great moment and of much concernment This will appear the more evident if we consider the person who was made Priest viz. our Lord Jesus Christ who was the greatest person that could be Heb. 7. 28. therefore he is fitly called a great high priest Heb. 4. 14. Or if we consider the ends of Christ's Priesthood which were very weighty and that in reference both to God and man To God for the manifestation of his perfect justice infinite mercy almighty power unsearchable wisdom and other divine attributes which never were nor ever can be so manifested as in and by Christ's Priesthood To man that God's wrath might be averted his favour procured man's sin purged and he freed from all evil and brought to eternal happiness Or if we consider the benefits of Christ's Priesthood which are answerable to the foresaid ends Jesus Christ was appointed and made by the father The Apostle and High Priest of the Churches profession Heb. 3. 1 2. Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who
understand it of the whole time of his manifestation in the world when he was sent forth as a Prophet to teach them and was declared evidently to be the son of God both by his miracles and ministry Joâ— 1. 14. and by that voice that was heard from heaven This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Others do understand it of the day of Christ's Resurrection and with them I close for this seems to be chiefly intended partly because it seems to be spoken of some solemn time of Christ's manifestation to be the son of God and he was declared to be the son of God with power according to the Rom. 1. 4. spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead that is by the power and force of the Deity sanctifying and quickening the flesh he was raised from the dead and so declared mightily to be the son of God but mainly because the Apostle doth clearly affirm that this was in Christ's Resurrection He hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my son this Act. 13. 32 33. day have I begotten thee In the day of Christ's Resurrection he seems to tell all the world that though from the beginning he had been hid in the bosom of his father Jâ—h 1. 18. and that though in the Law he had been but darkly shadowed out yet in the day of his Resurrection they might plainly see that he had fully satisfied Divine Justice finished his sâ—fferings and compleated the Redemption of his Elect and that accordingly his father had arrayed him with that glory that was sutable to him Before the Resurrection the Godhead was veiled under the infirmity of the flesh but in the Resurrection and after the Resurrection the Godhead did sparkle and shine forth 2 Cor. 13. 4. very gloriously and wonderfully least the humane nature of Christ upon its assumption should shrink at the approach of sufferings God the father engages himself to give Jesus Christ a full and ample reward And to exalt him far above all principality and power and to put all things Eph. 1. 21 22. â—â—il 2. 9. Name is put for person and bowing of the knee a bodily ceremony to express inward subjection Estius 〈◊〉 under his feet and to make him head over all things to the Church And to give him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and all because to give satisfaction to his father he made himself of no reputation and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross that is to his dying day He went thorough many a little death all his life long and at length underwent that cursed and painful death of the Cross upon which account the father rewards him highly by exalting him to singular glory and transcendent honour Look that as the assumption of the humane nature is the highest instance of free mercy so is the rewarding thereof in its state of exaltation the highest instance of remunerative justice Oh how highly is the humane nature of Christ honoured by being exalted to a personal union with the Godhead though vain men may dishonour Christ yet the father hath conferred honour upon him as Mediator that it may be a Testimony to us that he is infinitely pleased with the Redemption of lost man Although Christ be in himself God all-sufficient God blessed for ever and so is not capable of any access of glory yet it pleased him to condescend so far as to obscure his own glory under the veil of his flesh and state of humiliation till he had perfected the work of Redemption and to account of his office of Mediator and the dignity accompanying it as great honour conferred upon him by the father Jâ—l 8. 54. And it is observable that Christ having finished our Redemption on earth he petitions his father to advance him to the possession of that glory that he enjoyed from all eternity And now O father glorifie thou me Joh. 17. â— with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Now for the clearing up of this Text we are to consider that as Christ was from all Eternity the glorious God the God of glory so we are not to conceive of any real change in this glory of his Jesus Christ is true God and was infinitely glorious from all eternity for he had glory with his father before the world was and therefore he was no upstart God and of a later standing as the Arians and Mahoâ—etans make of him Godhead as if by his estate of humiliation he had suffered any diminution or by his state of exaltation any real accession were made to his glory as God But the meaning is this That Christ having according to the paction past betwixt the father and him obscured the glory of his Godhead for a time under the veil of the form of a servant and our sinless infirmities doth now expect according to the tenour of the same paction that after he hath done his work as Mediator he be highly exalted and glorified in his whole person that his humane nature be exalted to what glory finite nature is capable of and that the glory of his Godhead might shine in the person of Christ God-man and in the man Christ Jesus Thus you see the promises the encouragements and rewards that God the father sets before Jesus Christ And let thus much suffice concerning the Articles of the Covenant on God's part In the last place let us seriously consider of the Articles of the Covenant on Christ's part and let us weigh well the promises that Jesus Christ has made to the father for the bringing about the great work of our Redemption that so we may see what infinite cause we have to love the son as we love the father and to honour the son as we honour the father and to trust in the son as we trust in the father and to glorifie the son as we glorifie the father c. Now there are six observable things on Christ's part on Christ's side that we are to take special notice of c. First Christ having consented and agreed with the father about our Redemption accordingly he applies himself to the discharge of that great and glorious work by taking a body by assuming our nature Heb. 2. 14. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same He who was equal with God did so far abase himself as to take on him the nature of man and subjected himself to all manner of humane frailties so far as they are freed from sin even such as accompany flesh and blood and this is one of the wonders of mercy and love that Christ our head should stoop so low who was himself full of glory as to take part of flesh and blood that he might suffer for flesh
and satisfaction made to the Justice of God for man's sin and thereupon sin taken a-away Now sin being taken away Christ sits down on the right hand of his Father Look as the humiliation of Christ was manifested in offering a Sacrifice so his exaltation in sitting at God's right hand was manifested after that he had offered that sacrifice This phrase Set down is a note of dignity and authority and this dignity and Authority is amplified by the place where he is said to sit down viz. on the right hand of God and this honour and dignity is much illustrated by the continuance thereof which is without date For ever sat down on the right hand of God It is an Eclipse of the lustre of any glory to have a date and a period The very thought that such a glory shall one day cease will cast a damp upon the Spirit of him that enjoys that Glory Christ's constant sitting at the right hand of his Father is a clear evidence that he has finished and compleated the work of our Redemption Christ could never have gone to his Father nor never have set down at the right hand of his Father if he had not first fulfilled all Righteousness and fully acquitted us of all our iniquities Joh. 16. 10. Of righteousness because I go to my Father The strength of the Argument lies in this Christ took upon him to be our Surety and he must acquit us of all our sins and satisfie his Father's Justice before he can go to his Father and be accepted of his Father and sit down on the right hand of his Father If God had not been fully satisfied or if any part of Righteousness had been to be fulfilled Christ should have been still in the grave and not gone to heaven his very going to his Father argues all is done all is finished and compleated But Sixthly Christ having performed all the conditions of the Covenant on his part he now peremptorily insists upon it that his Father should make good to him and his the conditions of the Covenant on his part Christ having finished his work looks for his reward Father Joh. 17. 4 5. says he I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thow gavest me to do And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was There was a most This transaction between the father and the son is worthy of our most dâ—ep serious and frequent meditation blessed transaction between God the Father and God the Son before the world began for the everlasting good of the Elect and upon that Transaction depends all the good and all the happiness and all the salvation of God's chosen and upon this ground pleads with his Father that all his members may behold his glory Joh. 17. 24. Father I wilâ— that they also which thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory Father I will not only I pray I beseech but I will I ask this as my right by vertue of the Covenant betwixt us I have done thus and thus and I have suffered thus and thus and therefore I cannot but peremptorily insist upon it that those that I have undertaken for be where I am that they may behold my glory For though Glory be a gift to us yet it is a debt that is due to Christ It is a part of Christ's joy that we should be where he is Christ will not be happy alone as a tender father he can enjoy nothing if his children may not have part with him The greatest part of our happiness that we shall have in heaven lies in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate communion with him Oh sirs the great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ Christ is very desirous and much taken up with his peoples fellowship and company so that before he removes his bodily presence from them his heart is upon meeting and fellowship again as here we see in his prayer before his departure and this he makes evident from day to day in that until that time of meeting come two or three are not gathered in his name but he is in the midst of them to eye their behaviour to Mat. 18. 20. hear their suits to guide their way to to protect their persons to chear their spirits and to delight in their presence He delights to walk in the midst of the seven golden Rev. 2. 1. Mat. 5. 14 16. Psal 68 16. candlesticks the Golden Candlesticks are the Churches which are the light of the world and excel all other societies as much as Gold doth other Metals And he desires to dwell in the low and little hill of Zion Zion is his resting place his chosen place his dwelling place Psal 132. 13. For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation Vers 14. This is my rest for ever Here will I dwell for I have desired it Christ chose Zion for his love and loves it for his choice and accordingly he he delights to dwell there The Lamb stands on Mount Rev. 14. 1. Zion Christ is ready prest for action and in the midst of all Antichrist's Persecutions he hath always a watchful eye over Mount Zion and will be a sure life-guard to Mount Isa 4. 5 6. Zion he stands readily prepared to assist Mount Zion to fight for Mount Zion to communicate to Mount Zion Isa 8. 18. and to be a refuge to Mount Zion and no wonder for he dwells in mount Zion Now if Christ take so much delight to have spiritual communion with his people in this 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The words are very significant â—n the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In ill in-dwell in them so the words are there are two in s in the Original as if God could never haâ—e enoughe â—â—munion with them 2 Trâ—â— 1. 10. world no wonder that he can never rest satisfied till their gracious communion with him here issue in their perfect and glorious communion with him in heaven And certainly the glory and happiness of heaven to the Elect will consist much in being in Christ's company in whom they delight so much on earth to follow the Lamb whither soever he goes to enjoy him fully and to be always in his presence is the heaven of heaven the glory of glory 't is the sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Glory The day is coming wherein Believers shall be compleatly happy in a sight of Christ's glory when he shall be conspicuously glorified and admired in all his Saints and glorified by them and when all veils being laid aside and they fitted for a more full fruition shall visibly and immediately behold and enjoy him therefore is their condition in heaven described as consisting in this that they may behold my
Râ—m 5. 6 8. Gal. 2. 20. refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular day of account Oh blessed God! I have read over the Articles of the Covenant of Redemption that were agreed on between thy self and thy dearest Son and I find by those Articles that dear Jesus has died and satisfied thy Justice and pacified thy Wrath and bore the Curse and purchased my pardon and procured thy everlasting favour And I find by the same Articles that whatever Jesus Christ acted or suffered he did act or suffer as my Surety and in my stead and room Oh Lord when I look upon my manifold weaknesses and imperfections though under a Covenant of Grace yet I am many times not only grieved but also stumbled and staggered but when I look up to the Covenant of Redemption I am cheared raised and quieted for I am abundantly satisfied that both thy self and thy dear Son are infinitely ready able willing and faithful to perform whatever in that Covenant is comprized by these things men live Isa 38. 16 17. and in these is the life of my spirit men may fail and Friends may fail and Relations may fail and Trade may fail and natural strength may fail and my heart may fail but the Covenant of Redemption can never fail nor the Psal 73. 24 25. Federates who are mutually engaged in that Covenant can never fail and therefore I am safe and happy for ever what though my sins have been great and hâ—ynous yet they are not greater than Christ's satisfaction he did bear the Curse for great sins as well as small for sins against the Gospel as well as for sins against the Law for omissions as well as for commissions assuredly the Covenant of Redemption is a mighty thing and there are no mighty sins that can stand before that Covenant If we look upon Manasseh in those black and ugly colours that the 1 King 21. 1 to 16 Holy Ghost paints him out in we must needs conclude that he was a mighty sinner a monstrous sinner and yet his mighty sins his monstrous sins could not stand before the Covenant of Redemption the greatest sins are finite but the merit of Christ's Redemption is infinite All the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea there remained not so much as one of them there was not one of them Exod. 14. 28. Psal 106. 11. left alive to carry the news the high and the low the great and the small the rich and the poor the honourable and the base were all drowned The Red Sea of Christ's blood drowns all our sins whether they are great or small high or low c. though my sins be as scarlet Isa 1. 18. my Redeemer will make them as white as snow though they be as read as crimson they shall be as wool There is not one of my sins for which Jesus Christ hath not suffered Eph. 1. 7. Colos 1. 14. and satisfied nor there is not one of my sins for which Jesus Christ hath not purchased a pardon and for which he hath not made my peace though my sins are innumerable though they are more than the hairs of my head Psal 4â— 12. or the sands on the sea-shore yet they are not to be named in the day wherein the merits of Christ the satisfaction of Christ and the Covenant of Redemption is mentioned and pleaded Be my sins never so many yea though they might fill a Roll that might reach from East to West from North to South from earth â—â— heaven yet they could but bring me under the Curse now Christ my Surety that he might redeem me from the Curse hath Gal. 3. 13. taken upon him the whole Curse I know there is no summing up of my debts but Christ has paid them all woe had been to me for ever â—ad Christ left but onâ—â—â—nny upon the score for me to pay As I have multiplied my sins so he has multiplied his pardons Christ has cancelled Isa 55. 7. all bonds and therefore it is but justice in God to Colâ—s 2. 13 14 15 Joâ— 3â— 24. give me a full Acquittance and to throw down all bonds as cancelled saying Deliver him I have found a ransom Oh God though my sins are very many and very great yet if thou dost not pardon them the innocent blood of thy dearest Son will lie upon thee and cry out against thee for he therefore died that my sins might be pardoned so that now in honour and justice thou art obliged to pardon all my transgressions and remember mine iniquities no Isa 43. 25 Dan. 9. 24. more Now this is my Plea Oh holy God which I make to all those Scriptures that respect my last account and by this Plea I shall stand well saith God the Father I accept of this Plea I am pleased with this Plea thy Eâ—â—k 18. 22. sins shall not be mentioned Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. I shall now make a little improvement of what has been said as to the Covenant of Redemption and so draw to a conclusion First This Covenant of Redemption as we have opened it looks sadly and sowrly upon those that make so great a noise about the Doctrine of Universal Redemption The Covenant of Redemption extends it self not to every Mat. 24. 16. Luk 12. 32. Rom. 9. 11 12. cap â—â— 5. 6. 7 â— Rom. 8. 39 40. man in the world but only to those that are given by God the Father to Jesus Christ 2. It looks sadly and sowrly upon those that make so great a noise about Gods chusing or electing of men upon the account of God's foreseeing their faith good works obedience holiness when our election is merely of grace and savour and flows only Dâ—â— 7. 6 7. 8. â—ap 33. 1â— Rom. 9 11. 〈◊〉 1. 9. Eph. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29 30. ◠〈◊〉 â— 1â— 1 Pâ—â— 1. 2. from the good will of hâ—â— that dwelt in the bush and faith good works holiness sanctification are the fruits and effects of Election as the Scripture every where tells us and as has been made evident in my opening the gracious terms of the Covenant of Redemption but because I have in another place treated of thâ—se things more largely a touch here may suffice But Secondly How should this Covenant of Redemption spirit animate and encourage all the Redeemed of God to do any thing for Christ to suffer any thing for Christ to venture any thing for Christ to part with any thing Mark 8. 34. 35 38 Heb. 10. 34. cap. 11. for Christ to give up any thing to Christ who according to the Covenant of Redemption hath done and sufferred such great and grievous things that he might bring us to glory that are above all apprehensions and beyond Heb. 2. 1â— 1â— all expressions who can tell me what is fully wrapped up in that one expression viz. That he poured out his soul unto death Let
us not shrink nor saint nor grow weary under our greatest sufferings for Christ when sufferings multiply when they are sharp when they are more bitter than Gall or Wormwood yea more bitter than death it self then Remember the Covenant of Redemption and how punctually Christ made good all the Articles of it on his side and then saint and give out if you can Well may I be afraid but I do not therefore despair for I think Austin upon and remember the wounds of the Lord saith one Nolo vivere sine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Ob my God as long as I see thy wounds I will never live without wound saith another Crux Christi clavis Paradisi The Damasâ—â—n Cross of Christ is the Golden Key that opens Paradise to us saith one I had rather with the Martyrs and Consessors have my Saviour's Cross than with their Persecutors the worlds Crown the harder we are put to it the greater shall be our reward in heaven saith another Gardius the Martyr hit the nail when he said it is to my loss if you Chrysostâ—m abâ—â—e me any thing in my sufferings If you suffer not for Religion you will suffer for a worse thing saith one Vâ—nâ—â—miâ—s Never did any man serve me better than you serve me said another to his Persecutors Adversus gentes gratias agimus quod à molestis dominis liberemur We thank you for delivering us from hard Task-masters that we may enjoy more sweetly the bosom of our Lord Jesus said the Martyrs 'T was a notable saying of â—â—â—her Ecclesia totum mundum convertit sanguine oratione the Church converteth the whole world by blood and prayers They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me so may the redeemed of the Lord say they may take away my head but they cannot take away my Crown of life of righteousness of glory of immortality The Lacedemonians Rev. 2. 10. 2 lim 4. 8. 1 Peâ— 5. 4. 5. were wont to say it is a shame for any man to fly in time of danger but for a Lacedemonian it is a shame for him to deliberate Oh what a shame is it for Christians when they look upon the Covenant of Redemption so much as to deliberate whether they were best suffer for Christ or no. Petrus Blesensis has long since observed that the Courtiers of his time suffered as great trouble and as many vexations for vanity as good Christians did for the truth the Courtiers suffered weariness and painfulness hunger and thirst with all the Catalogue of Paul's afflictions and what can the best Saints suffer more Now shall men that are strangers to the Covenant of Redemption suffer such hard and great things for their lusts for very vanity and will not you who are acquainted with the Covenant of Redemption and who are interested in the Covenant of Redemption be ready and willing to suffer any thing for that Jesus who according to the Covenant of Redemption has suffered such dreadful things for you and merited such glorious things for you But Thirdly From this Covenant of Redemption as we have opened it you may see what infinite cause we have to be swallowed up in the admiration of the Father's love in entring into this Covenant and in making good all the Articles of this Covenant on his side When man was fallen from his primitive purity and glory from his holiness God so loved his Son that he gave him all the world for his possession Psal 2. 8. But he so loved the world that he gave Son and all for its Redemption Bernard and happiness from his freedom and liberty into a most woful gulf of sin and misery when Angels and men were all at a loss and knew no way or means whereby fallen man might be raised restored and saved that then God should firstly and freely propose this Covenant and enter into this Covenant that miserable man might be saved from wrath to come and raised and settled in a more safe high and happy estate than that was from which he was fallen in Adam Oh what wonderful what amazing love is this Abraham manifested a great deal of love to God in offering up of his only Isaac but God Gen. 22. 12. has shewed far greater love to poor sinners in making his only Son an offering for their sins for 1. God loved Christ with a more transcendent love than Abraham could Joh. 10. 18. Heb. 10. 10 12. love Isaac 2. God was not bound by the commandment of a superiour to do it as Abraham was 3. God freely and voluntarily did it which Abraham would never have done without a commandment 4. Isaac was to be offered after the manner of holy Sacrifices but Christ suffered an ignominious death after the manner of Thieves 5. Isaac was all along in the hands of a tender Father but Christ was all along in the hands of barbarous enemies 6. Isaac was offered but in shew but Christ was offered indeed and in very good earnest Is not this an excess yea a miracle of love 'T is good to be always a musing upon this love and delighting our selves in this love But Fourthly From this Covenant of Redemption as we have opened it you may see what signal cause we have to be deeply affected with the love of Jesus Christ who roundly and readily falls in with this Covenant and who has faithfully performed all the Articles of this Covenant had not Jesus Christ kept touch with his Father as to every Article of the Covenant of Redemption he could never have saved us nor have satisfied Divine Justice nor have been admitted into heaven That Jesus Christ might make full satisfaction for all our sins He was made a curse Gal. 3 13. for us whereby he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law All his sufferings were for us All that can be desired of God by man is mercy and truth mercy in regard of our misery truth in reference to God's promises That which moved Christ to engage himself as a Surety for us was his respect to God and man To God for the honour of his Name neither the mercy nor the truth nor the justice of God had been so conspicuously manifested if Jesus Christ had not been our Surety To man and that to help us in our succourless and desperate estate No creature either would or could discharge that debt wherein man stood obliged to the justice of God This is a mighty evidence of the endless love of Christ this is an evidence of the endless and matchless love of Christ We count it a great evidence of love for a friend to be surety for us when we intend no damage to him thereupon but if a man be surety for that which he knoweth the principal debtor is not able to pay and thereupon purposeth to pay it himself this we look upon as an extraordinary evidence of love
Mordecai's name was Registred in the Chronicles of Persia Ejih 6. 1 2 3. And Iamerlane had always by him a Catalogue of his best Servants and their good deserts which he daily perused Judge But Sixthly and lastly There is a Book of Life Rev. 20. 12. And another book was opened which is the book of life the Book of Life is the Book of all those that were elected and redeemed to life through Christ Jesus This Book of Life containeth a Register of such particular persons in whose Salvation God from all Eternity determined to have his mercy glorified and for whom Christ merited Faith Repentance and perseverance that they should repent believe and be finally saved The book of life shall be opened that is to say the Decrees of God will be then published and made known which now are sealed up in his breast and locked up in his Archives Then it will be seen who are appointed to life for the glorifying of God's free rich and Soveraign Grace and whom he purposed to leave in their sins and to perish for ever for the exaltation of his Justice 'T is called A Book of Life not that God hath need of a Book but to note the certainty of Predestination viz. that God knows all and every of the Elect even as men know a thing which for memory's sake they set down in writing This Book of Life shall be opened in the great day because then it shall appear who were Elect who Reprobates who truly believed in Christ who not who worshipped God in spirit and in truth and who not who walked with God as Noah and who not who set up God as the object of their fear who not who followed the Lamb whither ever he went and who not who were sincere and who not who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds and who preferred Barrabas before Jesus and their Farms and their Oxen and their Mat. 25. 32. Swine yea their very Lusts before a Saviour a Redeemer Ezek. 9. 4 6. who are Sheep and who are Goats who are Sons and who are Slaves who have mourned for their own sins and the sins of the time and who they are that have made a sport of sin c. Of this Book of Life you read often in Scripture Phil. 4. 3. And I intreat thee also true yoke-fellow help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of life Vorstius thinks it a speech taken from the custome of souldiers or Cities in which the chosen Souldiers or Citizens are by name written in a certain Book or Roll. This Book or Roll is called here The Book of Life because therein are written all the Elect who are ordained to Eternal Life Rev. 3. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be cloathed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life In this Book of Life all the just that live by faith are written The Elect are certain of Joh. 10. 28 29 30 31. eternal life they shall never perish nor none can ever pluck them out of the Father's hand nor out of Christ's hand God is said to have Books Metaphorically The Holy God by an Ambrâ—pepatheria speaketh to our capacity for he doth all things without the help of Books he needs no Books to help his Memory he does all things by his infinite Wisdom Eternal Foreknowledge Counsel Government and Judgment but thus men cannot do for whatsoever is done in their Councils Cities Families Contracts c. for memory's sake is set down in writing that so as there is occasion they may look it over and call to mind such things as they desire Mark not to have our names blotted out of the Book of Life is to have them always remain therein that is to enjoy Eternal Glory and what can the soul desire more The names of the Elect are written in the Book of Life they do not obtain Salvation by chance but were elected of God to life and happiness before the Foundation of the World Now their names being once written in the Book of Life they shall never never be blotted out of that Book In the Book of Predestination there is not one blot to be found the Salvation of the Elect is most sure and certain Rev. 13. 8. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world The names of the Elect are said to be written in the Book of Life by an usual Metaphor for we commonly write down the names of such as are dear unto us that we may continually remember them So God having in his Eternal Council elected some to Salvation hath written their names in the Book of Life as our Saviour tells us Rejoyce because your Luk. 10. 20. names are written in heaven Some understand the Metaphor of the Sonship of the Elect so that to be written in the Book of Life shews that they are heirs of Glory for we know that such are to inherit whose names are written in the last Will and Testament of men Of this Book of Life you may further read Rev. 17. 8. Rev. 20. 15. Rev. 21. 27. Rev. 22. 19. Now from this Book of Life that shall be opened in the great day when the other Books shall be opened as hath been shewed every sincere Christian may form up this Eleventh Plea as to the Ten Scriptures that are in the Margin that refer to the great Eccles 9. 11. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. â— 5. Dan. 9. 24. Coles 2. 14. day of account or t 〈…〉 man's particular account Most Holy and Blessed Lord cast thine eye upon the Book of Election and there thou wilt find my name written Now my name being written in that Book I am exempt from all condemnation and interested in the great Salvation my name being written in the Book of Life I am secured from coming into the Judgment of Reprobation or Condemnation Joh. 5. 14. Revel 21. 27. Jesus Christ who hath written my name in the Book of Life hath made up my acounts for me he hath satisfied thy Justice and pacified thy Wrath and born the Curse and purchased my Pardon and put upon me an everlasting Righteousness and given me my Quietus est he has crost out the black lines of my sins with the red lines of his blood he has cancelled all the Bonds wherein I stood obliged to Divine Justice I further plead O Blessed Lord That there is an immutable Connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and the obtaining of Eternal Life and if the Connexion betwixt being written in this Book of Life and the obtaining of Eternal Life were not peremptory what reason could there be of opening this Book in the day of Judgment The Book of Life is a Book of Sovereign Grace upon which lies the weight of my Salvation my happiness my all and therefore by that Book I desire to stand or fall Well saith the Lord I cannot but accept of this Plea as holy honourable just and righteous and therefore enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord inherit the Kingdom prepared for thee Mat. 25. 21 34. Thus by Divine Aslistance and by a special and a gracious hand of Providence upon me I have finished those select and important Cases of Conscience which I designed to speak to Soli Deo Gloria in Aeternum
dispose things by ones last Will and Testament Now to compose and set things in order is to uphold the Creation to walk by orders and Laws made and appointed is to walk by rule and to live to deal plainly and faithfully without deceipt To pacifie and make satisfaction includes sacrifices and sin-offerings To dispose by will and Testament implies choice of persons and gifts for men do commonly by will give their best and most choice things to their most dear and most choice friends Thus the Greek which the Apostles use in the New Testament to signifie a Covenant to express the Hebrew word Berith which is used in the Law and the Prophets doth confirm our derivation of it from all the words before-named And this Derivation of the Hebrew and Greek names of a Covenant being thus laid down and confirmed by the reasons formerly cited is of great use The various acceptation and use of these two names in the Old and New Testament is very considerable for the opening of the Covenant First to shew unto us the full signification of the word Covenant and what the nature of a Covenant is in general 2. To justifie the divers acceptations of the word and to shew the nature of every word in particular and so to make way for the knowledg of the agreement and difference between the Old and New Covenant here as in a Christal glass you may see that this word Berith and this word Diatheke signifie all Covenants in general whether they are religious or civil for there is nothing in any true Covenant which is not comprized in the signification of these words being expounded according to the former derivations Here also we may see what is the nature of a Covenant in general and what things are thereunto required As first every true covenant presupposeth a division or separation Secondly it comprehends in it a mutual promising and binding between two distinct parties Thirdly there must be faithful dealing without fraud or dissembling on both sides Fourthly this must be between choice persons Fifthly it must be about choice matters and upon choice conditions agreed upon by both Sixthly and lastly it must tend to the well ordering and composing of things between them Now all these are manifest by the several significations of the words from which Berith and Diatheke are derived And thus much for the word Covenant according to the Originals of the Old and New Testament Fifthly premise this with me That there was a Covenant of works or reciprocal Covenant betwixt God and Adam together with all his posterity Before Adam fell from his primitive holiness beauty glory and excellency God made a Covenant with Adam as a publick person which represented all Mankind The Covenant of works was made with all men in Adam who was made and stood as a publick person head and root in a common and comprehensive capacity I say it was made with him as such and we all in him he and all stood and fell together 1. Witness the imputation of Adam's sin to all mankind Rom. 5. 12. In whom or for as much as all have sinned they sinned nor all in themselves therefore in Adam see vers 14 In him all died 2. Witness 1 Cor. 15. 47. Deut. 29. 21. Rom. 8. 20 â—1 Gal. 3. 10 13. the curse of the Covenant that all mankind are directly under consult the Scriptures in the margent Those on whom the curse of the Covenant comes those are under the bond and precept of the Covenant But all mankind are under the curse of the Covenant and therefore all mankind are under the bond and precept of the Covenant Adam did understand the terms of the Covenant and did consent to the terms of the Covenant for God dealt with him in a rational way and expected from him a reasonable service The end of this Covenant was the upholding of the Creation and of all the creatures in their pure natural estate for the comfort of man continually and for the special manifestation of God's free grace And that he might put the greater obligation upon Adam to obey his Creator and to sweeten his authority to man and that he might draw out Adam to an exercise of his faith love and hope in his Creator and that he might leave Adam the more inexcusable in case he should sin and that so a clear way might be made for God's justification and man's conviction Upon these grounds God dealt with Adam not only in a way of sovereignty but in a way of Covenant But how may it be evidenced that God entred into a Quest Covenant of works with the first Adam before his fall there being no mention of such a Covenant in the Scripture that we read of Though the name be not in the Scripture yet the thing Answ is in the Scripture as will evidently appear by compareing Socinians call for the word satisfaction others call for the word sacrament others call for the word Trinity and others call for the word Sabbath for Lords day c. and thence conclude against Satisfaction Sacraments Trinity Sabbath for want of express words when the things themselves are plainly and liâ—ely set down in other words in the blessed Scriptures so it is in this case of God's Covenant with Adam The vanity and folly of such ways of reasoning is sufficiently demonstrated by all writers upon those Subjects that are â—ound in the faith c. Scripture with Scripture though it be not positively and plainly said in the blessed Scripture that God made a Covenant of works with Adam before his fall Yet upon sundry Scripture grounds and considerations it may be sufficiently evinced that God did make such a Covenant with Adam before his fall and therefore it is a nice cavil and a foolish vanity for any to make such a noise about the word Covenant and for want of the word Covenant boldly to conclude that there was no such Covenant made with Adam when the thing is lively set down in other words though the word Covenant be not expressed and this I shall make evident by an induction of particulars thus First God to declare his sovereignty and man's subjection gave Adam though innocent a Law God's express prescription of a positive Law unto Adam in his innocent state is clearly and fully laid down in that Gen. 2. 16 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou maist freely eat But of the tree of the knowledg of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Hebrew Dying thou shalt die Mark how God bounds man's obedience with a double fence First he fenced him with a free indulgence to eat of every tree in the Garden but one the less cause he had to be liquorish after forbidden fruit but stolen waters are sweet Secondly by an exploratory prohibition upon pain of death by the first the Lord
wooes him by love by the second he frights him by the terrour of his justice and bids him touch and taste if he durst The Faederati were God and Adam God the Creator and man the creature made after Gods image and likeness and so not contrary to God nor at enmity with him but like unto God though far different and inferiour to God in nature and substance Here are also terms agreed on and matters covenanted reciprocally by these parties Adam on his part was to be obedient to God in forbearing to eat of the tree of knowledg only God's charge to our first parents was only negative not to eat of the tree of knowledg the other to eat of the trees was left unto their choice Eve confesseth that God spake unto them both and said ye shall not eat of it And God speaks unto both of them Gen. 3. 2. together in these words Behold I have given unto you every Gen. 1. 19. herb and every tree c. At which time also it is very like that he gave them the other prohibition of not eating of that one tree for if God had made that exception before he would not have given a general permission after or if this general grant had gone before the exception coming should seem to abrogate the former grant The Septuagint seem to be of this mind that this precept was given both to Adam and Eve reading thus So doth Gregory read as the Septuagint does Gr â— l. b. 35. moral â— 10 in the plural number In what day ye shall eat thereof ye shall die And though in the Original the precept be given in the name of Adam only that is only 1. Because Adam was the more principal and he had the charge of the woman And 2. Because that the greatest danger was in his transgression which was the cause of the ruine of his posterity 3. Because as Mercerus well observes Adam was the common name both of the man and woman Gen. 5. 2. and so is taken vers 15. And God on his part for the present permits Adam to eat of all other trees of the Garden And for the future in his explicite threatning of death in case of disobedience implicity promiseth life in case of obedience herein Secondly the promises of this Covenant on God's part were very glorious First that heaven and earth and all creatures should continue in their natural course and order wherein God had had created and placed them serving always for man's use and that man should have the benefit and Lordship of them all Secondly As for natural life in respect of the body Adam should have had perfection without defect beauty without deformity labour without weariness Thirdly as for spiritual life Adam should never have known what it was to be under 〈◊〉 18. 1. â— terrours and horrours of conscience nor what a wounded spirit means he should never have found the arrows of 〈◊〉 6. 4. the Almighty sticking faâ—l in him nor the poyson thereof drinking up his spirits nor the terrours of God to set themselves in array against him nor he should never have tasted of death Death is a fall that came in by a fall had Adam never sinned Adam had never died had Adam stood fast in innocency he should have been translated to glory without dissolution Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death As the worm kills the worm that bred it so death 〈◊〉 sin that bred it Now where there are parties covenanting promising and agreeing upon terms and terms mutually agreed upon by those parties as here There 's the substance of an express Covenant though it be not formally and in express words called a Covenant This was the first Covenant which God made with man and this is called by the name Berith Jer. 33. 20. where God saith If you can break my Covenant of the day and night and that there shall not be day and night in their season vers 21. Then may also my Covenant with David be broken In these words he speaks plainly of the promise in the Creation That day and night should keep Gen. 1. 14 15 16. their course and the sun moon and stars and all creatures should serve for man's use Now though man did break the Covenant on his part yet God being immutable could not break Covenant on his part neither did he suffer his promise to fail but by vertue of Christ promised to man in the new Covenant he will keep touch with man so long as mankind hath a being on the earth In this first Covenant God promised unto man life and happiness Lordship over all the creatures liberty to use them and all other blessings which his heart could desire to keep him in that happy estate wherein he was created And man was bound to God to walk in perfect righteousness to observe and keep God's Commandments and to obey his will in all things which were within the reach of his nature and so far as was reveiled to him In the first Covenant God reveiled himself to man as one God Creator and Governour of all things infinite in power wisdom goodness nature and substance God was man's good Lord and man was God's good servant God dearly loved man and man greatly loved God with all his heart there was not the least shadow or occasion of hatred or enmity between them there was nothing but mutual love mutual delight mutual content and mutual satisfaction between God and man Man in his primitive glory needed no Mediator to come between God and him man was perfect pure upright and good created after God's own image and the nearer he came to God the greater was his joy and comfort God's presence now was man's great delight and it was man's heaven on earth to walk with God But Thirdly Consider the intention and use of the two eminent Trees in the Garden that are mentioned in a more peculiar manner viz. The tree of life and The tree of knowledg The intended use of these two Trees in Paradise was Sacramental Hence they are called Symbolical Trees and Sacramental Trees by learned writers both ancient and modern By these the Lord did signifie and seal to our first parents that they should always enjoy that happy state of life in which they were made upon condition of obedience to his Commandments i. e. in The Tree of life was the 〈◊〉 and â—eal which God gave to man for confirmation of this first Covenant and it was to man a Sacrament and pledge of eternal life on earth and of all blessings needful to keep man in life eating of the tree of life and not eating of the tree of knowledg The Tree of life is so called not because of any native property and peculiar vertue it had in it self to convey life but symbolically morally and sacramentally It was a sign and obsignation to them of life natural and spiritual to be continued to them as