(8.) God provided in the first place that there should be a media- tor, a sponsor, an undertaker, with whom alone he would treat about a new covenant, and so establish it. For there were, in the contrivance of his grace and wisdom concerning it, many things necessary unto it that could no otherwise be enacted and accom- plished. Nay, there was not any one thing in all the good which he designed unto mankind in this covenant, in a way of love, grace, and mercy, that could be communicated unto them, so as that his honour and glory might be advanced thereby, without the con- sideration of this mediator, and what he undertook to do. Nor could mankind have yielded any of that obedience unto God which he would require of them, without the interposition of this mediator on their be- half. It was therefore with him that God firstly made this covenant.
How it was needful that this mediator should be God and man in
one person ; how he became so to undertake for us, and in our stead; _ what was the especial covenant between God and him as unto the work which he undertook personally to perform; have, according unto our poor weak measure and dark apprehension of these heavenly things, been declared at large in our Exercitations on this epistle, and yet more fully in our discourse of the mystery and glory of the person of Christ." Wherefore, as unto this new covenant, it was firstly made with Jesus Christ, the surety of it and undertaker in it. For,— - (1) God neither would nor, “salva justitia, sapientid, et honore,” could, treat immediately with sinful, rebellious men on terms of grace for the future, until satisfaction was undertaken to be made for sins past, or such as should afterwards fall out. This was done by Christ alone; who was therefore the spéirov dexrizév of this covenant and all the grace of it. See 2 Cor. v. 19, 20; Gal. ii. 13, 14; Rom. iii. 25.
(2.) No restipulation of obedience unto God could be made by
* See Exerc. xxyv.—xxxiv. ; and vol. i. of the author’s miscellaneous works.
*
154 ‘AN EXPOSITION OF THE [OHAP. VIII.
man, that might be a ground of entering into a covenant intended to be firm and stable. For whereas we had broken our first cove- nant engagement with God in our best condition, we were not likely of ourselves to make good a new engagement of a higher nature than the former. Who will take the word or the security of a bankrupt for thousands, who is known not to be worth one farthing; , especially if he have wasted a former estate in luxury and riot, con- tinuing an open slave to the same lusts? Wherefore it was abso- lutely necessary that in this covenant there should be a surety, to undertake for our answering and firm standing unto the terms of it. Without this, the event of this new covenant, which God would make as a singular effect of his wisdom and grace, would neither have been glory to him nor advantage unto us.
(3.) That grace which was to be the spring of all the blessings of this covenant, unto the glory of God and salvation of the church, was to be deposited in some safe hand, for the accomplishment of these ends. In the first covenant, God at once committed unto man that whole stock of grace which was necessary to enable him unto the obedience of it. And the grace of reward which, he was to receive upon the performance of it, God reserved absolutely in his own hand; yea, so as that perhaps man did not fully understand - what it was. But all was lost at once that was committed unto our keeping, so as that nothing at all was left to give us the least relief as unto any new endeavours. Wherefore God will now secure all the good things of this covenant, both as to grace and glory, in a third hand, in the hand of a mediator. Hereon the promises are made unto him, and the fulness of grace is laid up in him, John i, 14; Col. i, 19, i 8; Eph. iii, 8; 2 Cor. i. 20.
(4.) As he was the mediator of this covenant, God became his God, and he became the servant of God in a peculiar manner. For he stood before God in this covenant as a public representative of all the elect. See our comment on chap. i. 5, 8, 9, ii, 18. God is a God — unto him in all the promises he received on the behalf of his mysti- cal body ; and he was his servant in the accomplishment of them, as the pleasure of the Lord was to prosper in his hand.
(5.) God being in this covenant a God and Father unto Christ, he came by virtue thereof to be our God and Father, John xx. 17; Heb. ii. 12, 18. And we became “ heirs of God, joint-heirs seit Christ ;’ and his people, to yield him all sincere obedience.
And these things may suffice briefly to declare the foundation of that covenant relation which is here expressed. _Wherefore,—
Obs. XI. The Lord Christ, God and man, undertaking to be the mediator between God and man, and a surety on our behalf, is the spring and head of the new covenant, which is made and established | with us in him,