living creature, with which latter especially, there could be no restipulation, Gen. ix. 9-17. But-4. A covenant properly made between man and man, is by stipulation and restipulation, in which they make mutual promises, or conditions, to be performed by them; whether to maintain friendship among themselves, and to strengthen themselves against their common enemies, or to do mutual service to each other, and to their respective posterities; such was the confederacy between Abraham, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre ; and the covenant between Abimelech and Isaac, and between David and Jonathan, Gen. xiv. 13. and xxvi. 12. 1 Sam. xx. 15, 16, 42. and xxiii. 18. Now 5. Such a covenant, properly speaking, cannot be made between God and man; for what can man restipulate with God. But 6. The covenant of grace made between God and Christ, and with the elect in him, as their Head and Representative, is a proper covenant, consisting of stipulation and restipulation; God the Father in it stipulates with his Son, that he shall do such and such work and service; and Christ the Son of God restipulates and agrees to do all that is proposed and prescribed, and, upon performance, expects and claims the fulfilment of the promises; see Isai. xlix. 1-6. and liii. 10-12. Psal. xl. 68. John xvii. 4, 5.

III. The names and epithets given to this federal transaction, or covenant of grace, between the Father and Son, both in the scriptures and among men, may deserve some notice, since they may help to give a better and clearer idea of this transaction-1. It is called, a covenant of life, Mal. ii. 5. Christ asked life of his Father for them in this covenant, and he gave it to him, even length of days for ever and ever see Tit. i. 2. 2 Tim. i. 1. Psal. xxi. 4.-2. It is called a covenant of peace, Mal. ii. 5. because that was a principal article considered in it; it was fixed that the Son of God, in human nature, should be the Peace-Maker.-3. It is commonly called by men, the covenant of grace; and properly enough, since it entirely flows from, and has its foundation in the grace of God: the matter, sum, and substance of it is grace; and the

ultimate end and design of it is the glory of the grace of God:

4. It is by some divines called the covenant of redemption, and very truly, because the redemption of God's elect is a principal article in it; as it was proposed to the Redeemer, so it was promised him, that upon the condition of giving himself, the redemption and ransom-price for the elect, they should be delivered from all their sins, see Isai. xlix. 5. and lix. 20. But then-5. This covenant is the same with the covenant of grace; some divines, indeed, make them distinct covenants; the covenant of redemption, they say, was made with Christ in eternity; the covenant of grace with the elect, or with be lievers, in time; but this is very wrongly said; there is but one covenant of grace, and not two, in which the Head and Members, the Redeemer and the persons to be redeemed, are concerned.

IV. The contracting parties concerned in this covenant, are next to be considered more particularly and distinctly. This covenant is commonly represented as if it was only between the Father and the Son; but I see not why the holy Spirit should be excluded, I think there are some traces, and some footsteps of all the three Persons, as concerned in it, in the dispensation and manifestation of this covenant to the peo. ple of Israel, Hag. ii. 4, 5. However, as in all covenants the contracting parties are,- 1. Distinct from each other, so in this; a covenant is not of one, 2. As they are distinct Per sons, so they have distinct acts of will; for though their nature and essence is but one, which is common to them all and so their will but one, yet there are distinct acts of this will, put forth by and peculiar to each distinct Person as the holy Spirit dispenses his gifts and grace, the blessings of this covenant, severally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11. 3. These contracting Parties entered into covenant freely and voluntarily, of their own choice, as all covenanters do, or should. So it is in this everlasting covenant the Parties were at entire liberty to enter or not into it: the Father was under no necessity, nor under any obligation to save men: nor was the Son compelled to enter into this covenant; but knowing his Fa

T

ther's will, voluntarily engaged in it, and said, Lo I come to do thy will: and as the Spirit freely bestows his grace, and the gifts of it in time, so he freely engaged to do in the covenant in eternity. 4. What they agreed in covenant, was what was in their power to perform; if one man enters into a covenant with another, and agrees to do what is not in his power, and which he knows it is not, when he enters into covenant, this is a fraud and an imposition on him, with whom he cove nants; and in course the covenant is null and void. 5. As in all covenants, however the persons covenanting may be equal in other respects, yet in covenanting there is an inequality and subordination; hence the Father, the first Person and Party contracting, is called by his Son, his Lord and his God, a phrase always expressive of covenant-relation; see Psal. xvi. 2. and xxii. 1. and xl. 8. and xlv. 7. John xx. 17. and the Son, the second Person and Party contracting is called by the Father his servant; Thou art my Servant &c. Isai. xlix 3. hence the Father is said to be greater than he, John xiv. 28. not merely on account of his human nature, about which there could be no difficulty in admitting it; but with respect to his covenant-relation to him, and the office-capacity he has taken and sustains in it and the Spirit, the third person and contracting Party, he is said to be sent both by the Father and the Son, 6. As in all covenants some advantages are propos. ed unto, and expected by all parties concerned, so in this; as God's end in all things, in nature, providence, and grace is his own glory, so it is in this covenant, even the glory of Father Son, and Spirit; which must be understood, not of any addition unto, or increase of their essential glory, but of the manifestation of it.

:

OF THE PART WHICH THE FATHER TAKES

IN THE COVENANT.

THE several parts which each contracting Party take in this covenant, are next to be considered. The Father, the first person in the Trinity, takes the first place, and gives the

lead in this covenant. All things are of God, that is, of God the Father; he planned the reconciliation of men in council, and proposed it in covenant, let us

I. Consider the work he proposed to Christ, which is the great and only condition of the covenant, and which he prescribed and enjoined him to do; which was,-1. To take the care and charge of the chosen ones; these, he put into his hands, the injunction was that he should lose nothing, no part of them, not even their dust in their graves, but should raise it up again at the last day, John vi. 39. that Christ, in a covenantway, by his own consent, was laid under such an obligation appears from his own account, both from what he says in his intercessory prayer; those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, John xvii. 12. and from what he will say at the last day, when they are all brought in; Behold I and the children which God hath given me, Heb. ii. 13. 2. Whereas these same Persons made his care and charge, would fall in Adam, with the rest of mankind, he proposed, and enjoined it as his will, that he should redeem them; this work, is expressed by various phrases, in Isai. xlix. 5, 6. as by bringing Jacob again to him; and also this work of Christ is expressed by raising up the tribes of Jacob; and by restoring the preserved of Israel, 3. In order to this, the Father proposed to the Son to assume human nature, in the fulness of time; A body hast thou prepared me, Heb. x. 5. for it is by this will, or the doing of it, that we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, Heb. x. 5-10. 4. Another branch of the work assigned to Christ, in the covenant, by his Father, and to which he agreed, was to obey the law in the room and stead of his people: so with respect to his pro. phetic office Christ says, The Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak -whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak, John xiii. 49, 50. And with respect to his priestly office, his laying down his life for his people; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again; this

commandment have I received of my Father, John x. 18. see chap. xiv. 31. And with respect to his Kingly office; I will declare the decree; Psal. 2. 5. Another part of the work proposed to him, and enjoined him by his Father, was to suffer the penalty of the law, death; which must be endured, either by the sinner himself, the transgressor of the law, or by his Surety, Gen. ii. 17. hence Christ says, speaking of laying down his life for the sheep, This commandment have I received of my Father, John x. 18. and hence his sufferings are called, the cup which his Father had given him, John xviii. 11. Matt. xx. 22. the blood of Christ is called therefore, the blood of the everlasting covenant, Heb. ix. 15-17. and xiii. 20. 6. When the Father signified in covenant, his dislike of the continuance of legal sacrifices; he strongly suggested it was his will that his Son should become a sacrifice; and it was by his will, that his covenant people are sanctified through the offering up of the body of Christ, Heb. x. 5-10, Isaï. liii. 1012. And,-7. Farther, it was the will of the Father in the covenant, that Christ should hereby make atonement; this was the work which was assigned him in covenant, and is marked out in prophecy for him to do; namely, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, and to make reconcilation for iniquity Dan. ix. 24. 8. In close connection with the former, his work assigned him in covenant was, to bring in everlasting righteousness, for the justification of the elect; hence the church of old could say, Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength, Isai. xlii, 6. Lastly, The work which the Father proposed and prescribed to the Son was, to feed the flock of slaughter; to which he replied I will feed the flock of slaughter; even all the elect of God, Zech. xi. 4, 7.

II. On condition of Christ's engaging to do the above work proposed and prescribed to him, the Father promised in the covenant many things; some to him personally, and others to the elect, whom he personated and represented. 1. Some things to himself, respecting his work, assistance in it, &c. a glory on the nature in which he should do it, the honourable