court of God; yet not in foro conscientia, in their own consciences? the sentence of justification which will be pronounced before men and angels, at the general judgment, are only so many repetitions, or renewed declarations, of that grand original sentence of it, conceived in the mind of God from all eternity. OF THE EVERLASTING COUNCIL CONCERN- HAVING treated of the internal and immanent acts in the divine mind, and which are eternal; I shall consider the operations and transactions, among the three divine persons when alone, before the world began, or any creature was in being. I shall begin with the council of God, held between the three divine persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, concerning the affair of man's salvation before the world was. And it will be proper to enquire, I. In what sense, council, consultation, and deliberation, can be ascribed to God, and,-1. This is not to be understood as expressive of his being at a loss in forming the scheme of salvation. Want of knowledge is often the cause with men, and therefore they deliberate with themselves, and consult with others; but it is not so with God. 2. Consultation in him is not in order to gain more knowledge; for his understanding is infinite, see Prov. xi. 14 and xxvii. 9. Nor,3. Does a council held between the three divine persons sup. pose any inequality between them; usually indeed with men, in matters of moment and difficulty, persons supposed to be of superior abilities are consulted, and their judgment taken; as Ahitophel by David: but this is not to be supposed here.4. Nor is consultation in God continued, carried on, and protracted to any length, as it often is with men : counsel with him is as quick as thought, yea, it is no other than his thought, and therefore they go together, Psal. xxxiii. 11. When consultation about the salvation of man is ascribed to God, it is intended to express the importance of it; to set forth the wisdom of God displayed herein. This being the effect of a council between the three divine persons, shews their unanimity in it, Isai. vi. 8. Isai. xlviii. 16. These things being observed, I shall endeavour, 13. II. To give some proof that there was a council between the divine persons concerning the salvation of men.-1. An argument in favour of this may be drawn from the purpose of God, whose purposes are called his counsels, Isai. xxv. 1. 2. It appears there was a consultation held about the salvation of men from the gospel, which is called the counsel of God, Acts xx. 27. and the wisdom of God, 1 Cor. ii. 6. 3. It may be concluded, from the consultation, concerning the formation of man, thus expressed, And God said, Let us make man in our image. If there was a consultation of the divine Persons about the making of man at first, then much more about the redemp. tion and salvation of him. But,4. What would put this matter out of all doubt, is the sense of a passage in Zech. vi. And the council of peace shall be between them both; some, indeed, interpret it of the Kingly and Priestly offices meeting in Christ, Rather by the counsel of peace may be meant the gospel, Eph. ii. 17. but there is another sense of them, embraced by learned men, to whose judgment I pay a great deference; such as Heidegger, De Dieu, Cocceius, Witsius, Dr. Owen, and others, that this respects the council concerning the peace and reconciliation in eternity, between Jehovah and the Branch, between the Father and the Son, who in time was to become man. 5. That there has been such a transaction between the Father and the Son, which with propriety enough may be called the counsel of peace, we have sufficient warrant from 2 Cor. v. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses. God was in Christ, or with Christ, consulting, contriving and planning the scheme, not to impute their sins unto them, but to Christ. I proceed, III To observe, that the three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, and they only, were concerned in this council,— 1. Not angels, for they were not then in being.-2. Nor were men a party in this council: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? Rom. xi. 34. for these also were not then in being. None but the blessed Three in One were of this council, and fit to be of it; the thing consulted about was nodus Deo vindice dignus, worthy only of God-1. Jehovah the Father, the first person in order of nature, though not of time, may reasonably be supposed to give the lead in this affair.-2. Jehovah the Son himself says, Council is mine, and sound wisdom, Prov. i. 20. he is called the Wonderful Counsellor, Isai. ix. 6, the angel of the great council. -3. The holy Spirit had a concern in this council, Eph. i. 17. 1 Cor. xii. 8. Never was such a council held as this, between such persons, and on such a momentous and interesting affair, Which, IV. Is the subject next to be considered more particularly and distinctly. The affair consulted about, was not the salvation of men merely, but who should be the Saviour, or be the author of this salvation. The case stands thus: it was in Jehovah the Father's thoughts, to save men by his Son; he, in his infinite wisdom, saw he was the fittest person for this work, and, in his own mind, chose him to it; and this is meant by laying help on one that is mighty; finding David his servant, Psal. lxxxix. 19, 20, he moved it to his son, who readily agreed to it, and said, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, Heb. x. 7. The pleasure and satisfaction the three divine persons had in this affair, thus advised to, consulted, and ap. proved of, is most clearly to be seen and observed at our Lord's baptism, Matt. iii. 16, 17. This transaction may, with, great propriety, be called the council of peace; and which is sued in a covenant of peace, next to be considered. OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT OF GRACE. FOR the better understanding these federal transactions before the world was, it may be proper to consider, I. The etymology and signification of the words used for covenant in the writings of the Old and New Testament, by which it will appear with what propriety these transactions may be called a covenant. The Hebrew word for covenant is Berith, which by different persons is derived from different roots. There are a set of men called Hutchinsonians lately risen up, who derive the word from Barar, which signifies, to purify; and because the word we translate make, which usually goes along with covenant, signifies to cut off, they contend, that it should be rendered, cut off the Purifier, by whom they understand the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, though it will be allowed, that Christ is sometimes called a Refiner and Purifier, Mal. iii. 3. yet not by any word or name derived from this root; nor is it likely that a Purifier, or he that purifies, should be expressed by a noun feminine, as Berith is. The word Berith, covenant, may rather be derived, as it more commonly is, either from Bara; which, in the first sense of the word, signifies to create ; a covenant being made with man, as soon almost as he was created, which covenant he transgressed, Hos. vi. 7. the sum and substance of which lies in those words, The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head, Gen. iii, 15. The word, in a secondary sense, may signify, to order or dispose of things; as in creation things were disposed and put in an orderly manner, and with this may agree the words used of a covenant in the New Testament, which signify, a disposing of things in a covenant or testamentary way. It is observed by some, that the same Hebrew. word, in another conjugation, signifies to cut in pieces and divide, and they think that a covenant has its name from hence, because it was usual at making covenants, to slay creatures for sacrifice, and cut them in pieces, and lay them by each other, and the covenanters to pass between them; of which rite see Gen. xv. 9, 10, 17. Jer. xxxiv, 18. to which way of making a covenant by sacrifice, the allusion may be in Psal. 1. 5. Or the word may be derived from Barah, which, among other things, signifies to eat food; it being usual, when covenants. were made and confirmed, for the parties covenanting, to eat and feast together; as did Abimelech and Isaac, Laban and Jacob, Gen. xxvi. 30. and xxxi. 46. and it may be observed, that the Lord's supper, which is a feast, is a commemoration of the ratification of the covenant of grace, by the blood of Christ, and wherein and whereby the faith of God's people is strengthened and confirmed, as to their interest in it. But, after all, it may be best to derive the word from this root, as it signifies also to select and choose, and which well agrees with a covenant, into which persons, of their own will and choice enter. The word used in the New Testament for covenant, is diatheke, by which word the Septuagint interpreters almost always translate the Hebrew word berith in the Old. We shall see the use of the word in this sense hereafter. It may not be improper to observe, II. In what sense the word covenant is used in scripture, which may serve to lead into the nature of it. And-1. It is sometimes used for an ordinance, precept, and command; so the order for giving the heave-offerings to the sons of Aaron, is called a covenant of salt, Numb. xviii. 19. the law for releasing servants has the name of a covenant, Jer. xxxiv. 13, 14. and the Ten Commands are called a covenant, Deut. iv. 13. for whatsoever God enjoins men, they are under an obligation to observe, nor have they right to refuse obedience to it; and, indeed, the covenant of works made with Adam, was much of the same nature.-2. A covenant, when ascribed to God, is often nothing more than a mere promise; This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit that is upon thee, &c. Isai. lix. 21. hence we read of covenants of promise, or promissory covenants, Eph. ii. 12. This is the promise that he hath promised us, the grand comprehensive promise, even eternal life, 1 John ii. 25. and which is absolute and unconditional. And so-3. We often read of covenants of God only on one side; of this kind is his covenant of the day and of the night, Jer. xxxiii. 20. which is no other than a promise that these should always continue, without requiring any condition on the part of the creature, Gen. viii. 22. and the covenant he made with Noah and his posterity, and with every |