By the late DAVID DICKSON, Irvine.
VII. OF THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION.
(Continued from page 201.)
THE Third Proof.—The third evidence, proving that there was a covenant of redemption past before the beginning of the world, is, because the eternal decree of God was fixed about the way of redemption to be fulfilled in time: for “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning”—Acts, xv., 18. And whatsoever God does in time, He does it according to the eternal counsel of His own will (Ephes. i., 11). Now Christ, the eternal Son of God, being made man, laid down His life for His sheep: “The Son of man goeth, as it was determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed”—Luke xxii., 22. And whatsoever Christ suffered, was by the determined counsel of God (Acts ii., 23). And God the Son, before He was incarnate, declares the decree of the kingdom promised unto Him by the Father, and of the victories which He should have over all His enemies, and of the felicity and multitude of the subjects of His kingdom, that should believe in Him. “I will declare the decree”—Psalm ii., 7, saith He. Presupposing therefore the decree of God, of sending His eternal Son into the world, to become a man and to suffer, and thereafter to reign for ever, we must also necessarily presuppose the consent of the Son, making paction with the Father and the Spirit, fixing the decree and agreement about the whole way of redemption, to be brought about in time. For the same person, Christ Jesus, who dwelt among men in the days of His humiliation, was with the Father from eternity (John i., 14); and as “by him all things were made, which were made”—John i., 2, 3, so, without Him nothing was decreed which was decreed (Prov. viii., 22—32); which also is manifest in the Apostle’s words, “He saved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began”—II. Tim. i., 9. For, as before the beginning of the world, the elect were given to the Son, designed Mediator to be incarnate, and the price agreed upon; so also grace to be given in time to the redeemed by compact, was given from eternity unto Christ, their designed Advocate. Also (Ephes. i., 3, 4, 5) we were elected in Christ unto holiness and salvation, and unto all spiritual blessings, and were predestinated to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ. And we are redeemed not with gold or silver, but by the precious blood of Christ, who was predestinated before the beginning of the world (I. Peter i., 18, 19, 20). Whereby it is manifest that the covenant between the Father and the Son, was transacted concerning the incarnation of the Son, and His sufferings, death, and resurrection, and all other things belonging to the salvation of the elect.
THE Fourth Proof.—The fourth evidence of the passing of a covenant between the Father and the Son, is held forth in the typical priesthood of Levi, by the altar and sacrifices, and the rest of the Levitical ceremonies which were prescribed by God. For as these things were testimonies, preachings, declarations, and evidences of a covenant past of old between God the Disponer, and the Son the Redeemer, about the way of justifying and saving such as believed in the Messiah by an expiatory sacrifice, to be offered in the fulness of time for the redeemed; so also they were prefigurations, predictions, prophecies, and pledges, of the Redeemer’s paying of the promised price of redemption. And this agreed upon price (because of the perfections of the parties contractors, the Father and the Son) was held and esteemed as good as paid, from the beginning of the world; and the agreed upon benefits purchased thereby, to wit, grace and glory, were effectually bestowed on the faithful before Christ’s incarnation, as the Psalmist testifies: “The Lord,” he says, “is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly”—Psalm lxxiv., 11; and, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me into glory.”—Psalm lxxiii., 24; and that, because the promised price of redemption was of no less worth, to give righteousness and life eternal to believers in the Messiah to come, than the price now paid is now of worth to give for it, righteousness and eternal life, to these that believe in the Messiah now come, Jesus Christ incarnate. And this donation of saving graces, as remission of sin, and carrying on to life eternal, was sealed unto believers in the covenant of reconciliation, by the appointed sacraments of circumcision and the paschal lamb.
THE Fifth Proof.—The fifth evidence of a covenant past between the Father and the Son Mediator to be incarnate, is this—Christ now incarnate, does ratify all these things which the Father, and Himself not yet incarnate, and the Holy Spirit had spoken in the Old Testament, about the salvation of the elect, and the price of their redemption, and of the conditions to be performed on either hand; and, as it were of new, does repeat and renew the covenant, which before was past between the Father and Himself, before He was incarnate. For (Luke ii., 49) speaking to Joseph and His Mother, when He was about twelve years old, he says, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” And (Matt. iii., 13) He presents Himself pledge and surety for sinners before the Father, to be baptised for them with the baptism of affliction, and to fulfil all righteousness, as was agreed upon before (verse 15); whereupon the Father does receive and admit the surety, and His undertaking for payment (verse 17), and, “Lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” And (John v., 39), He stands to all things which were testified of Him in the Scriptures; “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they that testify of me.” And (verse 36) He professes that all He does, is with the Father’s consent and concurrence; and that He came into the world, that He might finish what the Father had sent Him to do and suffer, which He calls His work that He was about. And more specially, He shows the agreement passed between the Father and Him before He came into the world, concerning His incarnation, and the discharge of His mediatory office, and His power to give eternal life to those that believe in Him. For the Father sent Him to be incarnate (verse 37) and that He with the Father might give eternal life to whomsoever he will, and might quicken the dead (verse 21). And that He might exercise judgment, authority was given to Him as the Son of man (verse 27). Yea, He shews that it was agreed upon between the Father and Him, about all the doctrine which He should teach: “I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him”—John viii., 20; and He shows that they were agreed about the price of redemption of the elect, and about His resurrection from the dead, and that His death did fully satisfy the Father: “As the Father! knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep; therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. . . . This commandment have I received of the Father”—John x., 15, 17, 18). He proposes, in short the sum of the covenant past between the Father and Himself, speaking to the two disciples going to Emmaus: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”—Luke xxiv., 25, 26. But most briefly He shows the whole matter, as often as He calls the Father His God, and that in respect of the covenant past between God and Him to be incarnate, and now incarnate indeed.
THE Sixth Proof.—The sixth evidence of the covenant of redemption past between the Father and the Son, stands in the head and articles of the covenant wherein they were agreed. Now, there are as many articles of the covenant, as there are injunctions, commands, and conditions required on the one hand, and promises to fulfil all on the other hand; as many predictions as there are of Christ’s sufferings, and promises made to the church through and for Him. Of these many, we shall touch only at four, whereby the faith of believers in Him may be confirmed about their redemption by Him, and whereby the erroneous doctrine of them who evacuate the covenant of redemption of the elect, may be refuted; wherein they teach, that Christ, by His obedience yielded unto the Father, even to the death of the cross, did purchase no more but a possibility of salvation, and no more grace for the elect than for the reprobate; as if He had not purchased a certainty of salvation to be given to any, but had suspended all the fruit of His sufferings upon the frail, mutable, inconstant and corrupt free-will of men; so that none can by their doctrine have more certainty and stability of their own fickle mind and will; and so, no more certainty of their own salvation, than of their own perdition. The order we shall keep in speaking of the articles of the covenant of redemption, shall be this: The first article shall be of the persons redeemed. The second article, shall be of the price of redemption to be paid by Christ in the fulness of time. The third article, shall be about the gifts and benefits purchased for, and to be given unto the persons redeemed. The fourth article of this covenant of redemption past between the Father and the Son, shall be of the means and ways whereby the gifts and benefits purchased, may be wisely, orderly, and effectually applied to the redeemed. In ranking of these articles, we do not presuppose a priority of one of them before another in order of nature or time; but we choose to speak of them in order of doctrine, for our more easy understanding of the matter. For the covenant of redemption past between the Father and the Son, is by way of an eternal decree of the Trinity, comprehending all and whatsoever belongs to redemption. In the discerning of which decree, there is not a first nor a last, but a joint purpose of God to bring about and accomplish all the heads and articles of the covenant, each in its own due time, order and way appointed.
(To be continued.)