02.03.04. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Shews, that the new Covenant was made with Christ, from everlasting, as the Head of the Elect, and That that Covenant is absolute or unconditional.

THE. new Covenant or Covenant of Grace, is to be considered either in its Constitution, or Manifestation. It was constituted and entered into by God the Father and Christ, as the Mediator and Head of the Elect, wherein are several Things to be observed.

1. That a certain and definite Number of Persons, were eternally beloved of God: Hence he says to the Church: Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love, and therefore with loving Kindness have I drawn thee. The Love of God is so spoken of, not only because it will continue to everlasting; but also because its Commencement was from everlasting, which evidently appears by there Words: The Mercy of the Lord, is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them who fear him. And this delightful Truth receives full Proof from our Saviour, when he says, And hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. The Love of God to his People, is of the same Date, with that Love he bears to his Son, which I presume, none will deny to be eternal.

2. Those Persons, who were the Objects of God’s special Favour, he unalterably determined to save: He did not appoint them to Wrath, but to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ. His Purpose was to render them happy, in the eternal Fruition of himself. He chose them to Salvation, thro’ Sanctification of the Spirit, and the Belief of the Truth. As many as are included in this gracious Decree, have believed, do or shall believe: For according to this divine Purpose, they are saved and called with an holy Calling, and not according to their own Works.

3. In order to secure this glorious and gracious Design of their Salvation, God the Father made Choice of his Son to be their Head, Redeemer and Saviour. And as we are allow’d to speak of this important Affair, by the scriptural Account of it, he proposed To him, that he should in their Nature, suffer for their Offences, and obey the Law for them, that the Honour of his Justice might be vindicated, and the Riches of his Grace might be gloriously display’d in their Happiness, to each of which Christ readily consented. The Language of the Mediator in this Compact was, Lo I come, I delight to do thy Will. Upon his consenting to perform the arduous Work assign’d him, the Father promised great and glorious Thing, to him: Some of which respect himself personally, as He shall not fail, nor be discouraged; which Promise assured him of Assistance in his Work. Other Promises relate to Christ mystically, as, Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power. There Transactions between the Father and Son, considered as the Head of the Elect, amount to the Nature of a full, formal and explicite Covenant. That this Covenant was entered into with the Elect in Christ their Head, is very evident from hence, that Grace was given to them in Christ before the World began, according to which, they are saved and called, with an holy Calling. And that Grace was given to them in this eternal Covenant of Grace. The Constitution of it was in Eternity; the Manifestation and Application of the Benefits promised in it, are in Time. That this Covenant is absolute and inconditional, may be argued from there Things.

I. God’s Purpose to save Sinners, was sovereign, free and absolute, or the Persons who are the Objects of that most gracious Decree, were not considered therein as holy, penitent and believing, and therefore were ordained to everlasting Life. But God chose them in Christ, that they might be holy, and not because he foresaw they would so be. To suppose that any became the Objects of God’s Choice, on Account of the Foresight of Faith or Holiness, prior to the divine Decree, to work Faith in them, necessarily infers that Faith is not of the Operation of God, nor a heavenly Gift. Faith and Holiness if so, are not Fruits flowing from God’s gracious Decree; but are the Cause of it: And hence it also follows, that Salvation is chiefly dependent on the fickle and uncertain Wills of Men, and is not secured by the most effectual and operative Will of God: Adored be divine Grace this is not the Care; but God chose us to Salvation, without any external Motive or Qualification in us, which induced him to put forth such an Act about us. He hath Mercy, because he will have Mercy, and for no other Reason. An inconditional Decree, and a conditional Covenant, by which our eternal State, is to be determined, are eternally repugnant, and therefore since God’s Decree to save his People is inconditional, the new Covenant must necessarily be absolute and free, and without all proper Conditions.

II. If this Covenant is conditional, it is a Covenant of Works, for Works must be the Conditions contain’d in it: And whether those Works are perfect or imperfect, upon the Performance of them, Men may challenge the precious Benefits promised on those Conditions: They merit them, according to the Nature of the Covenant, and the Obligation under which God says himself, by his Promise. This is not denied by those, who embrace the Opinion, of a conditional Scheme of Salvation, Mr. Baxter thus delivers himself upon this Head, in his Aphorisms of Justification. Thesis 26. As Promise is an Obligation, and the Thing promised is called Debt; so the Performers of the Condition are called worhty, and their Performance Merit, tho’ properly it is all of Grace, and not of Debt. This Concession is plain and honest; but what he adds to qualify it, Is contrary to the express Words of the Apostle. To him that worketh, the Reward is not reckon’d of Grace, but of Debt. Merit and Grace are eternally opposite, (even when Merit is taken in this qualify’d Sense, and intrinsic Worth is not contended for) they will never consist together, by distinguishing Works, into perfect and imperfect, who ever dream’d, that depraved Men can perform perfect Works? And if Men could, those Works would not be meritorious in the Sense he falsely imagines, that is to say, That the Reward of eternal Life, in a strict and proper Sense, would upon the Foot of Justice, become their just Debt, on Account of the intrinsic Value of those Works. If by my Performance of the Conditions of the new Covenant, the Blessings of that Covenant, become my due, according to the Nature of its Promises, it is irrational to suppose, that they are free Gifts, and are freely bestowed on me. All that is allow’d to free Grace in the Business of Salvation, is, that it delivers us from the perfect Law of God, brings us under an imperfect Law, by the Observation of which, Life is to be obtain’d: But as has been observ’d, if Salvation is of Works, of any Kind, it is not of Grace, and of Consequence, a conditional Covenant, cannot be the Covenant of Grace.

III. Those Things, which are said to be the Conditions of this Covenant are absolutely promised, and freely given it: And therefore they cannot be the Conditions of it. The gracious Language of God in this Covenant is: A new Heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony Heart out of your Flesh, and I will give you an Heart of Flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes, and ye shall keep my Judgments, and do them. It is evident that Regeneration, as the Principle of evangelical Obedience and practical Holiness, is promised in there Scriptures: And therefore they are Blessings, and not Conditions of the new Covenant, for they cannot be Conditions, and promis’d Benefits also: The new Covenant then is really absolute, and inconditional: And Faith, Repentance, and sincere Obedience are not Terms and Conditions which it enjoyns.

I conclude this Chapter with an Observation of Dr. Owen’s; it is this: Thus it is, the Covenant of God is not suspended, of our Will, or any Conditions to be performed by us; it hath all its Vertue and Effect from the Authority, Grace and Faithfulness of God himself. For it is an absolute Promise of Grace; nor is there any Condition of this Covenant which is not contain’d in the Promise itself. Therefore they act an unskilful and preposterous Part, who from the Nature of a Covenant used to be enter’d into between Men, endeavour to explain the Nature of the divine Covenantf48