Thus the disposition made by God with the ancient church through Moses, the Old contrasted in the New Testament with the New diadrjitv (Gal. iv., 24), was really a covenant, both civil and religious, formed between Jehovah and the Israelites, yet alike in its legal element, " which was added because of trans- gressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made," and in its symbolical and typical element teaching of Christ, it was in a higher view a dispensation, or mode of admin- istration of the covenant of grace. So also the present gospel disposition introduced by Christ assumes the form of a covenant between him and his people, including many gracious promises, suspended on conditions, yet it is evidently in its highest aspect
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that mode of administering the changeless covenant of grace, which is called the " new and better dispensation/' in contrast with the comparatively imperfect " old and first dispensation" of that same covenant. — See 2 Cor. iii., 14 ; Heb. viii., 6., 8, 9, 10 ; ix., 15 ; Gal. iv., 24.
The present dispensation of the covenant of grace by our Sa- viour, in one respect, evidently bears a near analogy to a will or testamentary disposition, since it dispenses blessings which could be fully enjoyed only after, and by means of his death. Conse- quently Paul uses the word diadrjfcr) in one single passage, to des- ignate the present dispensation of the covenant of grace in this interesting aspect of it. — Heb. ix., 16, 17. Yet since the various dispensations of that eternal covenant are always elsewhere in Scripture represented under the form of special administrative covenants, and not under the form of testaments, it is to be re- gretted that our translators have so frequently rendered this term diadTJfCTjj by the specific word testament, instead of the word cove- nant, or by the more general word dispensation. — See 1 Cor. iii., 6, 14 ; Gal. iii., 15 ; Heb. vii, 22 ; xii., 24 ; xiii., 20
2. What are the three views as to the parties in the covenant of grace held by Galvinists ?
These differences do not in the least involve the truth of any doctrine taught in the Scriptures, but concern only the form in which that truth may be more or less clearly presented.
1st. The first view regards the covenant of grace as made by God with elect sinners. God promising to save sinners as such on the condition of faith, they, when converted, promising faith and obedience. Christ in this view is not one of the parties to the covenant, but its Mediator in behalf of his elect, and their surety, i. e., he guarantees that all the conditions demanded of them shall be fulfilled by them through his grace.
2d. The second view supposes two covenants, the first, called the covenant of redemption, formed from eternity between the Father and the Son as parties. The Son promising to obey and suffer, the Father promising to give him a people and to grant them in him all spiritual blessings and eternal life. The second, called the covenant of grace, formed by God with the elect as parties, Christ being mediator and surety in behalf of his people.
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3d. As there are two Adams set forth in the Scripture, the one representing the entire race in an economy of nature, and the other representing the whole body of the elect in an economy of grace, it appears more simple to regard as the foundation of all God's dealings with mankind of whatever class only the two great contrasted covenants of works and of grace. The former made by God at the creation of the world with Adam, as the federal head and representative of all his posterity. Of the promises, conditions, penalty, and issue of that covenant I have spoken under a former head, see Chapter XV. The latter ', or covenant of grace, formed in the counsels of eternity between the Father and the Son as contracting parties, the Son therein contracting as the second Adam, representing all his people as their mediator and surety, assuming their place and undertaking all their obli- gations, under the unsatisfied covenant of works, and undertaking to apply to them all the benefits secured by this eternal covenant of grace, and to secure the performance upon their part of all those duties which are involved therein. Thus in one aspect this covenant may be viewed as contracted with the head for the sal- vation of the members, and in another as contracted with the members in their head and sponsor. For that which is a grace from God is a duty upon our part, as St. Augustin prayed, " Da quod jubes, et jubes quod vis ;" and hence results this complex view of the covenant.