with the Father that all those shall be sanctified for whom he has suffered and satisfied. The virtue, efficacy, and benefit of that which ariseth from the aforesaid will of the Father and of the Son is expressed under this word, ' sanctified.' To pass by the notation and divers acceptations of this word ' sanctified,' let it suffice to tell you it is not here to be taken, as distinguished from justification or glori- fication, as it is elsewhere taken, 1 Cor. i. 30, and vi. 11 ; but so as comprising under it all the benefits of Christ's sacrifice, Heb. x. 14, and ii. 11 ; Acts xxvi, 18. In this general and large extent it is sometimes taken ; only this word, sanctified, here gives us to under- stand that perfection consisteth especially in holiness ; for he expresseth the perfection of Christ's sacrifice under the word ' sanctified,' which implieth ' a making holy.' This was that special part of perfection wherein man was made at first, Eccles. vii. 31 ; and whereunto the apostle alludeth, where he exhorteth, ' To put on that new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,' Eph. iv. 24 ; for this end, Christ gave himself even unto death, for his church, ' that he might sanctifiy it,' Eph. v. 25. The principal thing under this word ' sanctified ' in this place is, that Christ's sacrifice maketh perfect. In this respect, Christ's sacrifice is here opposed to the legal sacrifices, which could not make perfect ; so that Christ's sacrifice was ofiered up to do that which they could not do ; for this end was Christ's sacrifice surrogated in the room of the legal sacrifices. Now this surrogation had been in vain, if Christ's sacrifice had not made us perfect. If the dignity of his person that was offered up, and his almighty power, and unsearchable wisdom, and other divine excellencies of his, be duly weio-hed, we cannot but acknowledge, that as his sacrifice is perfect in itself, so it is sufficient to make us perfect also. Christ's body was given up as a price and ransom, and offered up as a sacrifice for our sins ; and that we might be sanctified and made holy, Christ, by the ofi'ering of his body once for all, has purchased of his Father grace and holiness for all his redeemed ones. Christ agrees with his Father that he will lay down an incomparable price for his chosen ones ; and then he further agrees with his Father that all those shall be sancti- fied for whom he has laid down an invaluable price. The will of God the Father was, that Jesus Christ should have a body, and that that body of his should be offered up, that his elect might be sanctified and saved. Now to this Christ readily answers, ' Lo, I come to do thy will' From what hath been said from Ps. xl., compared with Heb. x., we may very safely and roundly conclude that it is most clear and evident that there was a covenant, compact, or agreement, between God the Father and Jesus Christ, concerning the redemption of fallen man. This I shall more abundantly clear up before I have said all I have to say about the covenant of redemption that is under our present con- sideration. But,
(9.) The ninth scripture is that, Ps. Ixxxix. 28, 'My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.' With whom ? why, with our dear Lord Jesus, of whom David was a singular type. There are many passages in this psalm which do clearly evidence that it is to be interpreted of Christ ; yea,
VEllY CLEARLY AND LARGELY OPENED. * 349
there are many things in this psalm that can never be clenrly, perti- nently, and appositely applied to any but Jesus Christ. For a taste, see ver. 19, ' I have laid help upon one that is mighty,' mighty to par- don, to reconcile, to justify, to save, to bring to glory; suitable to that of the apostle, Heb. vii. 25, ' He is able to save unto the uttermost' — that is, to all ends and purposes, perfectly, completely, fully, continu- ally, perpetually.! Christ is a thorough Saviour, a mighty Saviour : Isa. Ixiii. 1, ' Mighty to save.' There needs none to come after him to finish the work which he hath begun : ver. 19, ' I have exalted one, chosen out of the people,' which is the very title given to our Lord Jesus : Isa. xlii. 1, ' Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect,' or chosen one, ' in whom my soul delighteth : ver. 20, ' I have found David my servant.' Christ is very frequently called by that name, as being most dearly beloved of God, and most highly esteemed and valued by God, and as being typified by him both as king and prophet of his church: ver. 10, 'With my holy oil have I anointed him ;' suitalDle to that of Christ: Luke iv. 18, ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be- cause he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ;' and therefore we need not doubt of the excellency, authority, certainty, and sufficiency of the gospel : ver. 27, ' I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.' 2 Christ is the firstborn of every creature, and in all things hath the pre-eminence : ver. 29, ' His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.' 3 This is chiefly spoken of Christ and his kingdom. The aspectable heaven is corruptible, but the kingdom of heaven is eternal ; and such shall be Christ's seed, throne and kingdom : ver. 36, ' His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.' ' Christ shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands,' Isa. liii. 10. * And his throne as the sun before me ;' that is, perpetual and glorious, as the Chaldee explaineth it, ' shall shine as the sun.' Other kingdoms and thrones have their times and their turns, their rise and their ruin.s, but so hath not the kingdom and throne of Jesus Christ. Christ's dominion is 'an everlasting dominion,' which shall not pass away; 'and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed,' Dan. vii. 13, 14. I might give further instances out of tlds Psalm, but enough is as good as a feast. Now saith God, ' I have made a covenant with him ;' so then there is a covenant that God the Father hath made with Christ the mediator ; which covenant, the Father engages to the Son, shall stand fast, there shall be no cancelling or disannulling of it. God the Father hath not only made a covenant of grace with the saints in Christ, of which before ; but he has also made a covenant of redemp- tion, as we call it for distinction sake, with Jesus Christ himself, ' My covenant shall stand fast with him ;' that is, with Christ, as we have fully and clearly demonstrated. But,
(10.) The tenth scripture is that, Zech. ix. 11, 'As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant,' or whose covenant is by blood, ' I have
' Ad plenum, Erasmus ; ad perfectum, [Falier] Stapulensi-i. - Sec Jer. xxx. 9 ; Hosea iii. 5; Ezek. xxxiv. T6.
cannot be understood of David's seed, for Solomon's throne was ovcrthrowii.
350 • THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION