2. The covenant of grace is that glorious scheme of wisdom and goodness by which eternal life and salva- tion have been provided for men in a way of free grace and mercy. It is sometimes distinguished from the covenant of redemption, inasmuch as the latter phrase may be confined to the arrangement in eternity be- tween the persons of the Trinity, and the fonner to the engagement into which God enters in time with believers. On the other hand, some have contended that the covenant of redemption is tliat stricter ar- rangement according to which believers are delivered from all sin, while that of grace is that wider one ac- cording to which a sufiicient atonement was provided for all men. It has, however, been most common to speak of all God's arrangements for the salvation of men as under a single covenant, which, however, ma}' have various modes of dispensation. One may con- ceive of the whole race as fallen, and then of a schen.e of mercy which provides first a door of mercj' suffi- cienth' open for all mankind to enter, and finallj' a system of means which should secure the actual sal- vation of a limited number ; or he may conceive of the eye of God being fixed first upon a limited number of our fallen race, and for their sake alone providing an atonement sufficient indeed for all men, but designed and efficient for the salvation of only a definite num- ber. The latter was the aspect in which the covenant of grace has usually been presented by its advocates. They have supposed that God originally anticipated the temporary' character of the covenant of works, and determined upon another arrangement, by which a por- tion of mankind might be saved from the ruins of the apostasy. Wh}' he did not include the whole or a larger portion of mankind within the scope of his sav- ing mercj', they prefer to leave out of discussion as f.n unapproachable mystery. That he had sufficient rea- sons without implying a want of benevolence thej' as- sert without hesitation, but they think it best never to attempt a definition of them. Negatively they con- tend that the favored ones could have had no pre-emi- nence in natural goodness, since man)' of them confess themselves to be the chief of sinners. The effort to find a sufficient reason in the anticipated circumstances
FEDERAL THEOLOGY
517
FEDERAL THEOLOGY
of men has usually proved so confusing to the finite intellect, that most tliinlvcrs have concluded to leave the origin of discriminating grace where the Scrij - tures have left it, in the mere good pleasure (benepla- citum) of God. As we read of some who were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, it has been inferred that tliere must have been in eternity an agreement or covenant between the persons of the sa- cred Trinity, according to which a seed was given to the Son to serve him, and that he became their surety to satisfy the claims of justice upon them, to give them a title to eternal life, and to bring them to everlasting glory. The Father (who in this transaction is usually regarded as personating the Deitj^ as sucli) engaged to spare his beloved Son, to furnish him with all suitable endowments and preparations for his work, to support him in it, to deliver into his hands all power in heaven and on earth, to pardon and accept all who should come unto God by him, and to confer upon him a glorious reward forever and ever. The Holy Spirit, who must also be looked upon as having a part in this covenant, also engaged to become the efficient agent in the re- generation, sanctification, and glorification of the holy seed. Without ascribing to this transaction the tech- nicalities of a human compact, and conceding that the whole mode of viewing it is anthropomorphic, it is con- tended that something equivalent to this, and amount- ing to such a mutual understanding, must have exist- ed in the sacred Trinity. An equal love towards men is supposed to have existed in each of the divine per- sons. But as man was under condemnation, and could not therefore act for himself, the Son of God acted in behalf of all of whom he was to be the spiritual head. To constitute a natural ground for this headship, he was to become a man, uniting divinity in one person with humanity. He thus became a new federal head for his spiritual seed, similar to that which Adam had sustained to his natural descendants. In this relation ho was to act in all he did as their representative. He was to share with them in the actual curse which the first sin had brought on the human race, not shrinking even from death in its most terrific form. Though this endurance was not the same with that which they would have endured in its spiritual results or in eter- nal duration, it was supposed to be infinite in value on account of the infinite dignity of his person. It was indeed sufficient in objective worth to expiate for any amount of sin in any number of worlds. It has actu- ally conferred innumerable benefits upon all men. Pardon and salvation is offered to every one who hears the Gospel ; time, opportunity, and some means of grace are afforded to all, and sufficient is done to leave those inexcusable who deny the Lord that bought them. But confessedly all are not made partakers of salvation, and only a portion of men were eternally given to Christ by the Father. Obviously it was not left to an uncertainty whether his work would be in vain or not. A seed was secured to him by covenant, and it was with an ultimate reference to these that he entered upon his work. Adapted to all, and sufficient for all as his work may be, it must have been speciallj^ designed to effect the salvation only of the covenant people. Of these alone can he be regarded as the proper head and representative, since they alone are ingrafted into him by a living and active faith. To them alone is his perfect righteousness imputed, as if he had suffered and obej'cd in their stead. By his sufferings he has satisfied for their guilt, and by his perfect obedience to the law he has obtained for them a title to eternal life. He thus becomes their surety, not merely to make them inherently holy, but to per- form what is required of them. lie satisfies in this way both the penaltj^ and the precept of the broken covenant. Tliat covenant required obedience only for a limited period, and he has fulfilled the law during the time allotted him bj' the Father. The whole per- son of the Rt'deemer in both natures was subject to