Sixthly. I have one consideration more, which is the last I shall insist upon ; and that is, to consider in this covenant, whereunto I
428 THE EVERLASTING COVENANT,
make my retreat, — who it is that hath made it ivith me. And therein I would consider two things; — the one whereof will have the endearment of admiration, and the other will have full and plenary- satisfaction.
Why, it is God that hath made this covenant with us: " He hath made with me," saith David. If a great, a mighty king or prince of the earth, had made a covenant with us, and confirmed it solemnly by his oath, to take care of all our concerns; so carnal and so fleshy are we, that it would give us great relief against imminent danger and hazards. But who hath made this covenant with us ? God hath made it; and two things are considerable in this: — 1. His condescen- sion in entering into this covenant. 2. His sufficiency to satisfy us in it.
1. His condescension. And we may consider the condescension of God, upon the account of his greatness, upon the account of his holiness, and upon the account of his self-sufficiency : —
(1.) Upon the account of his greatness. You may observe in sundry places, that where God doth mention his covenant, or the fruits of his covenant, he doth oftentimes mention his greatness with it. So, Isa. lvii. 15, "Thus saith the high and lofty One that in- habiteth eternity; I dwell with him also" (which is God's covenant) " that is of a contrite and humble spirit." The high and lofty One will condescend to dwell with the poor and humble. And Stephen, Acts vii. 2, mentioning God's calling of Abraham, saith, " The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham." That the high and the lofty One, the great and the glorious God, should enter into this covenant with poor dust and ashes, worms of the earth as we are ! — the Lord help us to understand it. Condescension is endearing and satisfying, — we find it so among men. If a man that is great in the world doth but condescend to respect and be familiar towards them that are poor, that are beggars, it is looked upon as a very great matter, and doth wonderfully engage such persons to them that thus condescend: but let that distance be what it will that is between the highest and greatest king and the meanest beggar, they are men still; and, upon some accounts, the meanest may be the better. But there is an infinite distance between God and us, between the high and the lofty One, the glorious God, the possessor of heaven and earth, and poor dust and ashes. That he should take us into covenant, and engage himself by oath for the accomplishment of it; and should accept of our answering of his covenant, and engaging of our hearts unto him, that he should be ours, and that we should be his; — no heart can fully conceive this condescension. But, —
(2.) There is greater condescension yet ; and that is, his great con- descension with respect unto his holiness. It is a great condescension
THE BELIEVER'S SUPPORT UNDER DISTRESS. 429
of God, upon the account of his greatness, to enter into covenant with man ; but it is a greater condescension for the holy God to enter into covenant with sinful man; and therefore, though there was great grace, and great excellency in the first covenant, wherein the Creator entered into covenant with the creature, yet the second covenant is far more excellent and mysterious, where the holy God entered into covenant with sinners. In the first covenant there was no need of a mediator; but when a covenant is made between the holy God and sinners, there comes in the person of Jesus Christ; which shows in- finite condescension on the part of God.
(3.) Consider his condescension upon the account of his self-suffi- ciency. Though God be thus great, and though he be thus holy, yet may he not, however, have some use of poor man? may he not have some need of his service, as the greatest men upon eartb have some need of their subjects and tenants? They have a revenue out of them ; but God had no need of us at all, or of that service we tender him by virtue of this covenant. Ps. xvi. 2, " O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou ait my Lord." What, then, will he do for God ? " My goodness extends not unto thee."—" It is true, thou art my God in a way of mere sovereign grace, but what I can do reaches not unto thee." So he saith, Job xxxv. 6—8, " If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him ? If thou be righteous, what givest thou him ? or what receiveth he of thine hand ? Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man." God receives no profit, no advantage by it ; so that it is an infinite condescension in God with respect to his self-sufficiency, and that upon two accounts: — [1.] Upon the absolute, eternal self-suffi- ciency of his own nature. All the creatures in the world add nothing to God's state of blessedness. He made them, not that he might have advantage by them, but that he might communicate of his own goodness unto them. He was no less infinitely, eternally blessed before a creature was made to contemplate his glory, than he is now. [2.] Suppose all those he takes into covenant should fail him, " he can out of stones raise up children unto Abraham;" — he can bring up another people that may serve him to his praise and glory.