A TREATISE OF THE Covenant of GRACE. I CHAP. I. of the fignifications of the word Covenant. HE word tranflated Covenant, fome derive n mife, and fo it may be referred to the Teftamentary difpofition, B Sept. Jibero Santo, 1 Reg 8.21. Jer. axle: Edit. Conp. difponamus teftaventum. LXX. wsiestμl A¤ßi♪ ThS 31.21. Gen. 31. 44. LXX. Jia dwule Covenant пате Tel. The holy Ghost in Greek expreffeth this word fundry waies, as by Tovew, Heb. 8.9. Jer. 34.18. Jer. 34.8. Trλew, Heb. 8.8. datínua, Heb.8.10. & TEMqua, Heb.9.10. Exod. 14. 5,6,7. Numb, 18.19.2 Chron3 Septuagint Dadaun dads aiwrís.axis didnt asw. Covenant, which they had made before me. Pfal.83.5. They are confederate against thee, Pfal.89.3. I have made a Covenant with my chofen. But elfe where to promife, appoint or ordain, 2 Chron.7.18. As I have promised (or ordained, or coveVLOV. Pactum falis, firmum ftabile, quod nanted) with David thy Father. And fo refcindi nequit, ut nec (alita caro corrumpi, in the new Teftament, the word uled byGen.14.9,10, Jer. 34.18, Pactum perpe. taum bebraicè diceretur, pastum feculi fimul the Septuagint doth fignifie (Luk, 22.29) utung obvium. Sal pecunia benignitas:ut And I appoint unto you a Kingdom. Eraim. fal carnem confervat, fic benignitas opes Ego dispono vobis regnum. Beza, Ego papecunian. Et cefa jungebant fædera cifcor. Syr. Ego polliceor. And amongst porca. Virg. In humane aftures alfo,they all Nations, Covenants were established ufe the fame word, 1 Sim,11,1. 1 King, 5.13. Vid Jun. Par. lib 3. cap.9.ad Heb by the oblation of Sacrifice: Example beV.15.&c. Job 31.1. It is to be understood yond all exceptions, we have in that Sacriof a folemne condition to take heed to his fice, wherein God made a Covenant with eyes. Bude: Comment. ex Ariftop un the people of Ifrael, and bound them to the Nabarra Sadhuny, pag. 705. Malion. in obedience of his Law: whence it is also calMat. 16. Genebrard on Pfal 24. Act.3.15 led a Covenant of Salt, that is, perpetuall; either, because falt expels corruption, or rather, because falt was u fed in Sacrifices; as if it had been said, a Covenant being striken, and fuch ceremonies ufed, as are ordinary in making Covenants. Amongst the Greeks alfo, that it was moft ufuall, appeares not anly by infinite examples, but by common phrafes, as ogia Taμer, which is as much as to fweare the Sacrifice being flaine, or to eftablish a Covenant. And in Homer, Iliad. 3. çizyrögma wird, that is, bringing or bearing those things, which were neceffary in performing an Oath, or making a Covenant. The word Covenant or teftamentall bond or league, which hath in Hebrew the fignification of brotherly or friendly parting, and of explaining the condi tions of agreement; The Greek Interpreters doe frequently and almost perpetually render by Sanan, a teftament or difpofition, Pfal.25.10,14. Pfal.44.17. & 50.16. & 55.20, feldome avJúnn, Covenant, Ifa. 28.15, which is uted elsewhere,Sap.1.16. 1 Mac. 10.26. 2 Mac.13.25. & 24.26. But in the old Testament, the word Berith is never read for a teftamentary difpofition, which of the Rabbins, as Drufius witneffeth, is called 81% from the word that fignifieth to command, and fo to fet his house in order, or to make his will, Ifa.38.1. Which word is yet generall, and and must be restrained according to the circumstances of the place, Where the LXX. and Theodotio tranflate it adiun, Symmachus and Aquila turne it suvdhun. Pfal.25.14. Nor is it a thing unufuall with clafficall Authors of the Greeke tongue to use the word Siahxn in the generall fignification; For Camerarius citeth out of Aristophan. de Avibus, diadeva, Sadin, used for to make a Covenant. The Papists carpe at our Interpreters, because they render the word Covenant, rather then Teftament: for they would have it to fignifie a teftamentary difpofition. But they are deceived, for the fignification of the word is more generall: and the Apostle Heb.9.16. argueth not from the fimple fignification of the word, but the circumftances of the Covenant. In a Covenant and Testament both, there is an ordination and difpofition of things according to pleasure: and the Greeke phrafe in the New Teftament doth follow the received Interpretation of the Septud gint; although in this the Covenant of Grace is like to a Teftament, that it is not cftablished but by the death of the Mediatour as of a Teftator. The Covenant in Scripture doth fometimes fignifie an abfclute Promife of Ged, without any ftipulation at all, fuch as was the Covenant which God made with Noah prefently after the Floud, promiling freely, that he would never destroy man and beafts with an univerfall deluge of water any more. Gen.9.11. And that Covenant of Peace, and everlafting Covenant which Sepr.show Tlu give his elect faith and perfeverance, to which promife no condı. Jer.33.29. But oftentimes in holy Writ the name Covenant is fo used, that in it is plainly fignified a free Promife of God, but with stipulation of duty from the reasonable creature, which otherwife was due, no promise comming betwixt, and might have been exacted of God, and ought to have been performed of the creature, if God had fo pleated, Pfal.50.16. and 25.10. Pfal.44.17. For a Covenant is quiddam complexum, implying two things, diftinguished either re or ratione, the one covenanting, the other reftipulating er accepting. As alfo two parts covenanted. First,the B 2 giving Pfal.50.16, Syr. Quid tibe & libris præu ceptorum meo. rum, quod af. amper pa fumpferis giving of fome future good. Secondly, the retribution of some performance. The firft without the fecond, is no more then a Promife: the fecond without the first is no leffe then a Law, though the Apostle, Gal.3.22. makes another oppofition of Law and Fromife,nature and faith, workes and Christ, for that is from a divers acceptation of the Promife. But when two perfons upon these two parts concurre, it is that we call a Covenant properly: though tropically fometimes the Promife, and fometimes the ftipulation only is noted by the Covenant. Pfal.50.5. Nehem. 1. 5. Gen. 17.7,9. and fometimes the feale of the Covenant is called the Covenant. Gen.17.10,11. This diftinction of the Covenant depends upon a diftinction of Gods love; for there is a love of God towards the creature, whence all the good that is in the creature doth flow, and there is a love of God vouchfafed to the creature, and that for those things which it hath received, not of it felfe, but of God, as it was beloved with that first love. That we may call primary or antecedent (for distinction fake) this fecondary or confequent love. From that flowes both the making and fulfilling of the Abfolute Covenant: on this depends the fulfilling of the Covenant, whereunto a reftipulation is annexed, but not the making thereof. For in the Abfolute Covenant there is nothing in the creature that might move God, either to promife,or to performe what he hath promifed: but in the Covenant to which a ftipulation is annexed, God fulfils what he promifed, becaufe the creature exhibits what was exacted, although this that God hath entered into fuch a Covenant, and promifed fo great things unto him that performed fuch and fuch obedience, that wholly proceeds from the antecedent love, and free pleafure of Almighty God. The effence of the Covenant properly confifteth in the Promise and ftipulation: But the words of the Covenant containe obedience required of God, and promised of them in Covenant, and fo by a Metonymic are called the Covenant. Exod.34. 27,28. Deut.29.1. Jer. 11. 2,3,4. and 34.13,14. The Tables of the Law were the Tables of the Covenant. The Covenant and Law differ, as friendship and tables obligatory to friendship: he that violates thefe, is convinced to breake this: Heb,8,1,2, and the tables of the Covenant of Law are called the Covenant or Teftament,and the Book of the Covenant. Exod.24.4,7. 2 King. 23.2. A Covenant is made betwixt men of of those things, which either were not due before, or were not thought to be due, which are made firme,ftable and due by the very Covenant, fo that by the Covenant new right is acquired or caufed, either to one or both, who Covenant betwixt themfelves of any matter. Therefore the Covenant of God doth contain new things, great,and in no wife due, which of his meere pleafure God offers unto us. Now where there is huge and infinite difparity, there can be no affurance of this fo great a gift, but the certaine Word of God, and the affured Promife of him who doth never lic,nor change. That therefore Man fhould enter into Covenant: with God, it was necessary that men should first give credit to the Word of God, and then that they fhould hope for those things which exceed their capacity, and fo at last trusting in God and obeying, they fhould obtaine the good things promifed: and Exod.14.65. therefore the words of the Covenant may well be put for the Co- 7,8. venant. Nevertheleffe in making Covenant with the creature God is not tied to verball expreffions, but often he contracts the Covenant in reall impreffions in the heart and frame of the Crea ture, which is apparent in the Covenant fo often mentioned with the unreasonable creature, and this was the manner of covenanting with our firft parents in the state of Innocency: but is most obfervable in the reftored reasonable creature, when God fhall put his Lawes into their hearts,and write them in their inward parts, Fer.31.33. and the more perfect the creature growes, the more reall fhall the impreffion be: But yet in all ages of the Church paft, and fo to the end of the world, God hath ever, and ever wilk make expreffions outward of this his Covenant with mankinde.. The Covenant is one thing, the name of the Covenant another. For the Covenant includes the whole reafon of the Covenant with the circumftances: but the name fometimes is attributed to fome circumstances. So the Covenant may be said to be the fame and not the fame, that which is the fame in fubftance, varieth in manner and circumstances. Deut. 5:2,3. and 29.1. and 431. Nor is it a thing unusuall in Scripture,that this fhould be affirmed of one, and denyed of another, which is more illuftrious in one then in another,though it be common to both, as Matth. 15.34. Interpreters of Scripture give this rule, when it feemes to deny the very effence of the thing, it doth deny only fome circum ftance or relpect, Mark 9.37. He that receiveth me, doth not rea B 3 ceiver |