All this appears most evidently in the covenant. of grace, which is here said to be “established on promises;” and that on two accounts. For,—
[1.] At the same time that much is required of us in the way of
-duty and obedience, we are told in the Scripture, and find it by
experience, that of ourselves we can do nothmg. Wherefore, unless the precept of the covenant be founded in a promise of giving grace and spiritual strength unto us, whereby we may be enabled. to per- form those duties, the covenant can be of no benefit or advantage unto us. And the want of this one consideration, that every cove- nant is founded in promises, and that the promises give life unto the precepts of it, hath perverted the minds of many to suppose an abi- lity in ourselves of yielding obedience unto those precepts, without erace antecedently received to enable us thereunto; which overthrows the nature of the new covenant. .
[2.] As was observed, we are all actually guilty of sin before this covenant was made with us. Wherefore unless there be a pro- mise given of the pardon of sin, it is to no purpose to propose any new covenant terms unto us. For “the wages of sin is death;” and we having sinned must die, whatever we do afterwards, unless our sins be pardoned. This, therefore, must be proposed unto us as the foundation of the covenant, or it will be of none effect. And herein lies the great difference between the promises of the covenant
68 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIII.
of works and those of the covenant of grace. The first were only | concerning things future; eternal life and blessedness upon the accomplishment of perfect obedience. Promises of present merey and pardon it stood in need of none, it was not capable of. Nor had it any promises of giving more grace, or supplies of it; but man was wholly left unto what he had at first received. Hence the covenant was broken. But in the covenant of grace all things are founded in promises of present mercy, and continual supplies of grace, as well as of future blessedness. Hence it comes to be “ordered in all things, and sure.”
And this is the first thing that was to be declared, namely, that every divine covenant is established on promises.
(2.) These promises are said to be “ better promises.” The other covenant had its promises peculiar unto it, with respect whereunto this is said to be “established on better promises.” It was, indeed, principally represented under a system of precepts, and those almost innumerable; but it had its promises also, into the nature whereof we shall immediately inquire. With respect, therefore, unto them is the new covenant, whereof the Lord Christ is the mediator, said to be “established on better promises.” That it should be founded in promises, was necessary from its general nature as a cove- nant, and more necessary from its especial “nature as a covenant of grace. That these promises are said to be “better promises,” re- spects those of the old covenant. But this is so said as to include all other degrees of comparison. They are not only better than they, but they are positively good in themselves, and absolutely the best that God ever gave, or will give unto the church. And what they are we must ‘consider in our progress. And sundry things may be observed from these words :—
Obs. VIII. There is infinite grace in every divine covenant, inas- much as it is established on promises.—Infinite condescension it is in God, that he will enter into covenant with dust and ashes, with poor worms of the earth. And herein lies the spring of all grace, from whence all the streams of it do flow. And the first expression of it is in laying the foundation of it in some undeserved promises, And this was that which became the goodness and greatness of his nature, the means whereby we are brought to adhere unto him in faith, hope, trust, and obedience, until we come unto the enjoyment of him; for that is the use of promises, to keep us in adherence unto God, as the first original and spring of all goodness, and the ultimate satisfactory reward of our souls, 2 Cor, vil. 1.
Obs. IX. The promises of the covenant of grace are better sine those of any other covenant, as for many other reasons, so especially because the grace of them prevents any condition or qualification on our part. At do not say the covenant of grace is absolutely with-
VER. 6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 69
out conditions, if by conditions we intend the duties of obedience which God requireth of us in and by virtue of that covenant; but this I say, the principal promises thereof are not in the first place remunerative of our obedience in the covenant, but efficaciously assumuptive of us into covenant, and establishing or confirming in the covenant. The covenant of works had its promises, but they were all remunerative, respecting an antecedent obedience in us; (so were all those which were peculiar unto the covenant of Sinai). They were, indeed, also of grace, in that the reward did infinitely exceed the merit of our obedience; but yet they all supposed it, and the subject of them was formally reward only. In the covenant of grace it is not so; for sundry of the promises thereof are the means of our being taken into covenant, of our entering into covenant with God. ‘The first covenant absolutely was established on promises, in that when men were actually taken into it, they were encouraged unto obedience by the promises of a future reward. But those pro- mises, namely, of the pardon of sin and writing of the law in our hearts, which the apostle expressly insisteth upon as the peculiar promises of this covenant, do take place and are effectual ante- cedently unto our covenant obedience. For although faith be re- quired in order of nature antecedently unto our actual receiving of the pardon of sin, yet is that faith itself wrought in us by the grace of the promise, and so its precedency unto pardon respects only the order that God had appointed in the communication of the benefits. of the covenant, and intends not that the pardon of sin is the re- ward of our faith,