1. The unchangeable purpose of God, which is a sure and stead- fast foundation, 2 Tim. iii. ^9. " Nevertheless, the foundation of " God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that '' are his." The first act of God's love to the creature, is that by which he chooseth such a one to be his, and is therefore called the foundation of God, as being that on which he lays the superstructure of all other mercies. And this stands sure, there can be no vacillancy or slipperiness in such a foundation ; for he knows who are his ; he knows them as his creatures, and as his new creatures in covenant with him ; as his by election, and his by covenant-transaction and compact. The purpose of his grace before time, gave being to the covenant of grace in time, and is the foundation of it.
2. The free grace of God in Christ, is that which gives immuta- bility to this covenant. It is not built upon works, but grace : " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace : to the end the '' promise might be sure to all the seed," Rom. iv. 16. This cove- nant is not founded as the first was, upon the variable and incon- stant obedience of man, but upon grace, which is a steady and firjn foundation of it.
3. The suretiship of Christ gives everlasting stability to this cove- nant, Heb. vii. 22. " He was made * the surety of a better testa- " ment," or covenant : For oiu&rtXT} signifies both ; he struck hands, or engaged himself for the whole covenant, and every condition in it, and that both on God's part and ours ; to undergo all our punish- ments, to pay all our debts, and to work in us all that God required
* Eyr-jo^j from syrvau which signifies to strike hands, iv yvioii.
APPLIED TO AFFLICTED SAINTS. 109
of US in the covenant of grace : And all this under the penalty that lay upon us to have undergone. And this not as otlicr sureties, who enter into one and the same bond with the principal, so that the creditor may come upon which he will : but he lays all upon Christ, and relies wholly upon him for satisfaction, knowing he was able to perform it ; and so under the ty})e of God's covenant with David, Christ is brought in, Psal. Ixxxix. 19. " Thou spakest in vision to *"= thy holy One, and saidst, I have laid help on one who is mighty :"" q. d. I know thy ability, my Son, thou art able to pay me, and therefore I lay all upon thee.
It follows strongly from what hath been said, that the virtue of the covenant decays not by time as other things do, but is at this day, and will be to the end of the world, as potent and efficacious a relief to all God's people, as ever it was to David, or any of the believers of the first ages.
And if so, certainly nothing can be more strongly supporting, or sweetly relieving in such a changeable world tlian this, He hath made with me an everlasting covenant. What David speaks of the natural Ijeavens will be found true, of things overspread and covered by them, Fsal. cii. 26, 27. " They shall perish, but thou shalt endure : and " all of them shall wax old like a garment ; and as a vesture shalt " thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the " same, and thy years shall have no end." The creature was, and is not; but my covenant God is the same ; his name is I am, and his covenant is the same that ever it was ; which is the second property or ingredient of this complete remedy to the saints afflictions. The covenant hath not only all power, virtue, and efficacy in itself to relieve a distressed Christian, but it hath it in all ages, as well for one as for another. The third and last follows, namely,
III. That it is a sure covenant. So David stiles it in my text. The certainty of the covenant is the glory of the covenant, and the com- fort of all that are in it. The certainty of it in itself is past all doubt, by what hath been said before. It is certain God did make such an everlasting covenant with his people in Christ, and it must remain an eternal truth, that such a covenant there is betwixt God and them. It is as impossible that this everlasting covenant should not be made with them, as it is impossible for God to lie, Heb. vi. 18. If he might make himself not to have covenanted everlastingly with them when once he had so covenanted, such a supposition would destroy the foundation of all faith and certainty, and overthrow the apostle's con- sequence on which the faith and comfort of believers is built. Nor is it an infringement of the Almighty power, to say, God himself cannot do that which implies a plain contradiction, 2.?, factum iixfec- turn reddere, to make that which was done, not to be done.
But of this there is no doubt ; it is a sure covenant in itself. That which makes to my purpose here, is to prove it capable of personal security and certainty to us. David had, and all the federates, as
110 THE BALM OF THE COVENANT
well as he, may have a subjective or personal certainty also. He speaks categorically and positively in the text. " Yet hath he made " [with me] an everlasting covenant.'"
Objection. If it be said, he might have a personal certainty of it, be- cause it was revealed to him in an extraordinary way by the prophet Natlian, 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13,. 14. and extraordinai'ia no7i current in exemplum^ this was a pecuhar favour, which we may not expect.
Solution. I reply, and why may not we know it with as full a cer- tainty to whom God is pleased to make it known in his ordinary way ? Think you his word and Spirit cannot ratify it as fully and firmly to our souls,, as Nathan's discovery of it did to David's soul ? God give me hut such a seal of it in his ordinary method and way of confirma- tion, and I will desire no more of him in this world for my relief and comfort, whatever afflictions it shall please him to lay upon me.
And thus you see all the properties of a complete remedy in the covenant, and of it every believer may say, '^ This is all my salvation, '* and all my desire, though he make not my house to grow." And now what hinders, but that all God's afflicted should say from henceforth, " Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bounti- " fully ^nth thee," Psal. cxvi. 7. I have all the desires of my heart in the covenant of God, though he take away the desire of mine eyes upon earth with his stroke. In this covenant my soul is at rest, and my very heart is centred. Xo affliction can be great enough to make the consolations of the Almighty seem small in mine eyes. Worldly sorrows may swallow up worldly comforts, but no sorrows upon earth can swallow up the consolations of the covenant.