[6.] Sixthly, This covenant of grace, under which the saints stand, is sometimes styled a covenant of salt: Lev. ii. 13, ' Neither shaltthou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from the meat- offering,' &C.2 The salt of the covenant signifies that covenant that God hath made with us in Christ, who seasoneth us, and makes all our services savoury. The meaning of the words, say some, is this. The salt shall put thee in mind of my covenant, whereby thou standest en- gaged to endeavour always for an untainted and uncorrupted life and conversation. By this salting, say others, was signified the covenant of grace in Christ, which we by faith apprehend unto incorruption, wherefore our unregenerate estate is likened to a child new born and not salted, Ezek. xvi. 4. Others say it signifies the eternal and per- . petual holiness of the covenant between God and man ; and some there be that say that this salt of the covenant signifies the grace of God, whereby they are guided and sanctified that belong unto the covenant of grace. So Num. xviii. 19, ' It is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord, unto thee, and to thy seed with thee.' A covenant of salt is used for an inviolable, incorruptible, and perpetual covenant. This covenant which the Lord made with the priests is called a covenant of salt, because, as salt keepeth from corruption, so that covenant was perpetual, authentical, and inviolable ^ — as anciently the most solemn ceremony that was used in covenants was to take and eat of the same salt, and it was esteemed more sacred and firm than to eat at the same table and drink of the same cup. This covenant, in regard of its perpetuity, is here called a ' covenant of salt,' that is, a sure and
^ The word ' new ' doth intimate some more excellent mercies than God had formerly conferred upon his people.
^ Salt they were bound as by a covenant to use in all sacrifices, or it meaneth a sure and pure covenant. Some, by the salt of the covenant, do mystically understand the grace of the New Testament.
^ Of old, amity and friendship was symbolised by salt, for its consolidating and con- serving property, saith Pierius.
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stable, a firm and incorruptible covenant. So 2 Cbron. xiii. 5, ' Ought •you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?' — i.e., perpetual and inviolable, solemn and sure. By this metaphor of salt, a perpetuity is set forth, for salt makes things last.l The covenant therefore here intended is by this metaphor declared to be a perpetual covenant, that was not to be abrogated or nulled. In this respect these two phrases, ' a covenant of salt,' and ' for ever,' are joined together. Some take this metaphor of salt to be used in rela- tion to their manner of making their covenant with a sacrifice, on which salt was always sprinkled, and thereby is implied that it was a most solemn covenant not to be violated.'^ But,
[7.] Seventhly, The covenant of grace, under which the saints stand, is sometimes styled a sure covenant, a firm covenant, a covenant that God loill punctually and accurately perform. In this regard, the cove- nant of grace is in the Old Testament styled THO^, Shemurah, that is, kept, observed, performed. The word imports care, diligence, and solicitude lest anything be let go, let slip, &c. God is ever mindful of his covenant, and will have that singular care and that constant and due regard to it, that not the least branch of it shall ever fail, as you may clearly see by consulting the special scriptures in the margin. 3 Hence it is called the mercy and the truth : Mic. vii. 20, ' Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob' — Heh., ' thou wilt give,' for all is of free gift — ' and the mercy to Abraham.' The covenant is called mercy, because mercy only drew this covenant ; it was free mercy, it was mere mercy, it was only mercy which moved God to enter into cove- nant with us. And it is called truth, because the great God who has made this covenant will assuredly make good all that mercy and aU that grace and all that favour that is wrapped up in it. God having made himself a voluntary debtor to his people, he will come off fairly with them, and not be worse than his word. Hence Christ is said to have a rainbow upon liis head, to shew that he is faithful and constant in his covenant, Kev. x. 1. God hath hitherto kept promise with nights and days, that one shall succeed the other, Isa. liv. 9, 10 ; there- fore much more will he keep promise with his people, Jer. xxxiii. 20, 25.4 Hence also the covenaiit is called the oath : Luke i. 73, ' The oath which he sware unto our father Abraham.' You never read of God's oath in a covenant of works. In that first covenant you read not of a mediator nor of an oath ; but in the covenant of grace you read both of a mediator and of an oath, the more effectually to confirm us as touching the immutability of his will and purpose, for the accom- plishment of all the good and the great things that are mentioned in the covenant of grace. The covenant of grace is incomparably more firm, sure, immutable, and irrevocable than all other covenants in^the world.
^ Zanchy's [Zanchius] exposition of the place is strange and farfetched. ' Num. xviii. 19, but now opened. Lev. ii. 13.
* 2 Sam. xxiii. 5; Deut. vii. 9; 2 Chron. vi. 14; Ps. xix. 7, and Ixxxix. 28 ; Titus i. 2; Ps. cxxxii. 11 ; Isa. liv. 10. See my 'Box of Precious Ointment,' pp. 367, 368, 371-373. [Vol. iii., as before.— G.]
* The stability of God's covenant is compared to the unvariable coui-se of the day and the night, and to the firmness and unmovableness of the mighty mountains, Isa. liv. 9, 10.
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