2. The grant of the new covenant — which is therefore called the covenant of his peace : Isa. liv. 10, ' The covenant of my peace shall not be removed ; ' Ezek. xxxvii. 26, *I will make a covenant of peace with them.' It is so called not only because thereby this peace and reconciliation is offered to us, but the terms are stated, and the con- ditions required are far more equitable, gracious, and commodious for us than the terms of the law covenant. Man, as a sinful creature, is obnoxious to God's wrath for the violation of the law of nature, and so might perish without remedy, and no impeachment to God's goodness can happen thereby. But when God will give bounds to his sovereignty over him, and enter into terms of covenant with him, and give him a bottom to stand upon, Avhereon to expect good things from him, upon the account of his faithfulness and righteousness — this is a condescension ; and so far condescended in the first covenant, that after that man hath cast away the mercies of his creation, and his capacity to fulfil that covenant, this was mere mercy and grace. That God would enter into a second covenant, it is not from anymutableness in God, but from the merit and satisfaction of a Redeemer. Surely there must be some great and important cause to change, alter, and abrogate a cove- nant so solemnly made and established— to lay aside one covenant, and to enter into another, especially since the former was so holy, righteous, and equal, fit for God to give, and us, in the state we then were in, to receive. Now, what was the important reason ? Christ came to salve God's honour in the first covenant, and to secure the ends of his government. Though a second covenant should be set up, the blood of his cross hath made this covenant everlasting, Heb. xiii. 20, and upon gracious terms doth convey great and precious privileges to us.
500 RECONCILIATION WITH GOD [SeR. VIII.
Thirdly, The pouring out of the Spirit, which certainly was the fruit and effect of Christ's death, and also an evidence of the worth and value of it. The apostle telleth us that Christ was ' made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles by faith in Jesus Christ.' And what blessing was that ? The gift of the Spirit, Gal. v. 13, 14. And in another place, when he interpreteth the types of the law, he telleth us that the fathers ' did all eat of the same spiritual meat that we do, and did all drink of the same spiritual drink, for they drank of the rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.' If the rock was Christ, the water that gushed out of the rock was the Spirit, often compared to waters in scripture, John iv. 14, vii. 38, 39 ; and the rock yielded not this water till it was smitten with the rod of Moses — a figure of the curses of the law. Christ was stricken and smitten of God, and so procured the Spirit for us : John vii. 39, ' The Holy Ghost was not yet given, for Jesus was not yet glorified ; that is, had not finished his passion, and the acceptance of it was not yet attested to the world, till he was advanced at the ri2;ht hand of God, and then this effect declared it. The Spirit was given before, but more sparingly, because it was given upon trust, and with respect to the satisfaction that was afterwards to be made and accepted. And then it was witnessed to the world by a more copious and plentiful effusion of the Spirit. Therefore it is said : Acts ii. 33, ' Therefore Jesus being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.' The merit and value of the sacrifice is thus visibly attested, therefore this is one of the witnesses : Acts v. 30-32, ' The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a Saviour, for to give repent- ance to Israel, and remission of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.' And what was the evidence given to the church in general, is the evidence given also to every particular believer.
Fourthly, Some have obtained the effects and fruits of Christ's death ; this peace begun here hath been perfected in heaven. The text saith, ' He hath reconciled all things to himself, whether they be things in heaven, or things in earth.' Here many are pardoned and accepted with God, and have the comfort of it in their own souls. Others are gone home to God, and have the full of this peace. All were by nature children of wrath, under the curse as well as others. Now, if some in all generations have enjoyed the love, favour, and friendship of God in this world, and upon their departure out of it have entered into glory upon this account, it is evident that Christ is accepted to the ends for which God sent him — thus Abraham, the father of the faithful, and all the blessed souls who are gathered into his bosom, and are alive with God in heaven. Certain it is they were all sinners by nature, for there is no difference between any of the children of men, and yet God admits them into his peace. Was it a personal privilege peculiar to them only ? No ; the apostle tells us, Rom. iv. 23, ' It was not written for his sake alone ; ' and Paul obtained mercy ' for them that should hereafter believe on Christ for life everlasting,'