Fifthly, He adds hereunto that "Christ ruled neither Jews nor Gentiles; that he made no laws, nor put any bonds upon them, that they might be said to break." So answers Kimchi the testimony from Mic. v. 2, where Christ is called the ruler of Israel. "Answer them," saith he, 13 15w on bax bw b 5,-" that Jesus ruled not over Israel, but they ruled over him, and crucified him." But notwithstanding all this petulancy, his enemies shall all of them one day know that God hath made him both Lord and Christ; that he is a king and a lawgiver for ever; that he came to put the holy bands and chains of his laws on the world, which they in vain strive to reject and cast out of the earth, for he must reign until all his enemies are made his footstool. It is granted that in some of these words spiritual things are figuratively expressed, but their literal sense is that which the figure intends; so that no mystic or allegorical sense is here to be inquired after, it being the Lord Christ the Son of God, with respect unto his kingly office, who is here treated of primarily and directly, however any of the concernments of his kingdom might be typed out in David; and he it is who says, "I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." 18. The foundation of this expression is laid in the divine and eternal filiation of the Son of God, as I have elsewhere evinced; but the thing directly expressed is spoken in reference unto the manifestation thereof in and after his incarnation. He that speaks the words is the Son himself; and he is the person spoken unto, as Ps. cx. 1, "The LORD said unto my Lord," wherein the same eternal transaction between the Father and Son is declared. So here, "The LORD," that is the Father, "hath said unto me." How? By the way of an eternal statute, law, or decree. As he was the Son of God, so God declares unto him that in the work he had to do he should be his Son, and he would be his Father, and make him his first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. And therefore are these words applied several ways unto the manifestation of his divine filiation. For instance, he was "declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead," Rom. i. 4. And this very decree, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," is used by our apostle to prove the priesthood of Christ, which was confirmed unto him therein, Heb. v. 5; and this could no otherwise be but that God declared therein unto him, that in the discharge of that office, as also of his kingdom and rule, he would manifest and declare him so to be. It appears, therefore, that there were eternal transactions between the Father and Son concerning the redemption of mankind by his interposition or mediation. EXERCITATION XXVIII. FEDERAL TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN THE FATHER AND THE SON. 1. Personal transactions between the Father and Son about the redemption of mankind, federal. 2. The covenants between God and man explained. 3. "Fœdus," a covenant, whence so called. 4. Zvvonen, why not used by the LXX. 5. The various use of in the Scriptures-The tables of stone, how called the covenant; and the ark-The same use of ovvx-The certain nature of a covenant not precisely signified by this word. 6. Covenants how ratified of old. 7. Things required to a complete and proper covenant. 8. Of covenants with respect unto personal services. 9. The covenant between Father and Son express-How therein the Father is a God unto him, and the Son less than the Father. 10. Joint counsel of the Father and Son in this covenant, as the foundation of it. 11. The will of the Father in this covenant absolutely free. 12. The will of the Son engaged in this covenant -The Son of God undertakes for himself when clothed with our nature. 13. The will of God how the same in Father and Son, yet acting distinctly in their distinct persons. 14. Things disposed of in a covenant to be in the power of them that make it-This they may be two ways: first, absolutely; secondly, by virtue of the compact itself. 15. The salvation of sinners the matter of this covenant, or the thing disposed of, to the mutual complacency of Father and Son. 16. The general end of this covenant the manifestation of the glory of God-Wherein that consists-What divine properties are peculiarly glorified thereby. 17. The especial glory of the Son the end of this covenant; what it is. 18. Means and way of entering into this covenant-Promises made to the Son, as incarnate, of assistance, acceptance and glory-The true nature of the merit of Christ. 19. Things prescribed to the Lord Christ in this covenant reduced to three heads-The sacred spring of his priesthood discovered. 20. The original reason and nature of the priesthood of Christ-Occasion and use of priesthood and sacrifices under the law. 21. The sum of the whole-Necessity of Christ's priesthood. 1. OUR next inquiry is after the nature of those eternal transactions which, in general, we have declared from the Scripture in our foregoing Exercitation. And these were carried on "per modum fœderis," "by way of covenant," compact, and mutual agreement, between the Father and the Son; for although it should seem that because they are single acts of the same divine understanding and will, they cannot be properly federal, yet because those properties of the divine nature are acted distinctly in the distinct persons, they have in them the nature of a covenant. Besides, there is in them a supposition of the susception of our human nature into personal union with the Son. On the consideration hereof he comes to have an absolute distinct interest, and to undertake for that which is his own work peculiarly. And therefore are those counsels of the will of God, wherein lies the foundation of the priesthood of Christ, expressly declared as a covenant in the Scripture; for there is in them a respect unto various objects and various effects, disposed into a federal relation one to another. I shall therefore, in the first place, manifest that such a covenant there was between the Father and the Son, in order to the work of his mediation, called therefore the covenant of the Mediator or Redeemer; and afterwards I shall insist on that in it in particular which is the original of his priesthood. 2. First, we must distinguish between the covenant that God made with men concerning Christ, and the covenant that he made with his Son concerning men. That God created man in and under the terms and law of a covenant, with a prescription of duties and promise of reward, is by all acknowledged. After the fall he entered into another covenant with mankind, which, from the principle, nature, and end of it, is commonly called the covenant of grace. This, under several forms of external administration, hath continued ever since in force, and shall do so to the consummation of all things. And the nature of this covenant, as being among the principal concernments of religion, hath been abundantly declared and explained by many. The consideration of it is not our present business. That the Lord Jesus Christ was the principal subject-matter of this covenant, the undertaker in it and surety of it, the Scriptures expressly declare: for the great promise of it was concerning him and his mediation, with the benefits that should redound unto mankind thereby in grace and glory; and the preceptive part of it required obedience in and unto him new and distinct from that which was exacted by the law of creation, although enwrapping all the commands thereof also. And he was the surety of it, in that he undertook unto God whatever by the terms of the covenant was to be done for man, to accomplish it in his own person, and whatever was to be done in and by man, to effect it by his own Spirit and grace; that so the covenant on every side might be firm and stable, and the ends of it fulfilled. This is not that which at present we inquire into; but it is the personal compact that was between the Father and the Son before the world was, as it is revealed in the Scripture, that is to be declared. 3. To clear things in our way, we must treat somewhat of the name and nature of a covenant in general. The Hebrews call a covenant , the Greeks ouvexn, and the Latins "foedus;" the consideration of which words may be of some use, because of the original and most famous translations of the Scripture. "Foedus" some deduce "a feriendo," from "striking." And this was from the manner of making covenants, by the striking of the beast to be sacrificed in their confirmation; for all solemn covenants were always confirmed by sacrifice, especially between God and his people. Hence are they said to "make a covenant with him by sacrifice," Ps. 1. 5, offering sacrifice in the solemn confirmation of it. And when God solemnly confirmed his covenant with Abraham, he did it by causing a token of his presence to pass between the pieces of the beasts provided for sacrifice, Gen. xv. 17, 18. So when he made a covenant with Noah, it was ratified by sacrifice, Gen. viii. 20-22, ix. 9, 10. And to look backwards, it is not improbable but that, upon the giving of the first promise, and laying the foundation of the new covenant therein, Adam offered the beasts in sacrifice with whose skins. he was clothed. And how the old covenant at Horeb was dedicated with the blood of sacrifices, our apostle declares, Heb. ix. 18-20, from Exod. xxiv. 5-8. And all this was to let us know that no covenant could ever be made between God and man, after the entrance of sin, but upon the account of that great sacrifice of our High Priest which by those others was represented. Hence is the phrase, “fœdera ferire," "to strike a covenant:" Cicero pro Coelio, [cap. xiv.,] "Ideone ego pacem Pyrrhi diremi, ut tu amorum turpissimorum quotidie foedera ferires?" "Fœdera," "ferire,” and “percutere," have the same rise and occasion. And the Hebrews also express the making of a covenant by striking hands, though with respect unto another ceremony. Some derive the word "a porcâ fœde cæsâ;" for a hog was clean in the devil's sacrifices: "Cæsâ jungebant foedera porcâ."-Virg. Æn., viii. 641. And hence was the ancient formula of ratifying covenants by the striking and therewith killing of a hog, mentioned by the Roman historian, Liv. i. 24, "Qui prior defexit publico consilio dolo malo, tu illum Jupiter sic ferito, ut ego hunc porcum hodie feriam; tantoque magis ferito quanto magis potes pollesque;" upon the pronouncing of which words he killed the hog with a stone. And there was the same intention among them who, in making a covenant, cut a beast in pieces, laying one equal part against another, and so passing between them; for they imprecated as it were upon themselves that they might be so destroyed and cut into pieces if they stood not unto the terms of the covenant. See Jer. xxxiv. 18-20, where respect is had to the covenant made with the king of Babylon. But in the use and signification of this word we are not much concerned. 4. The Greek word is ruvenn, and so it is constantly used in all good authors for a solemn covenant between nations and persons. Only the translation of the LXX. takes no notice of it; for observing that ", "berith," in the Hebrew was of a larger signification, applied unto things of another nature than oun (denoting a precise compact or convention) could be extended unto, they rendered it constantly by diathan, whereof we must treat elsewhere. Gen. xiv. 13, they render by, "covenanters," by suvauóra, "confederati,” or "conjurati," "confederates sworn together." Wherefore of the word ouvex there is no use in this matter; and the nature of the thing intended must be inquired into. 5. is largely and variously used in the Old Testament, nor are learned men agreed from what original it is derived. 2, and , and 77, are considered to this purpose. Sometimes it intends no more but peace and agreement, although there were no compact or convention unto that purpose: for this is the end of all covenants, which are of three sorts, as the Macedonian ambassador declared to the Romans; for either they are between the conqueror and the conquered, or between enemies in equal power, or between those who were never engaged in enmity. The end of all these sorts of covenants is mutual peace and security. Hence they are expressed by Л", "a covenant." So Job v. 23, Thy covenant shall be with the stones of -; עִם־אַבְנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה בְרִיתֶךָ the field." Say we, "Thy league shall be;" that is, 'Thou shalt have no hurt from them.' And, Hos. ii. 18, a covenant is said to be made with the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and the creeping things of the earth. Security from damage by them, and their quiet use, is called a covenant metonymically and metaphorically, because peace and agreement are the end of covenants. Secondly, Synecdochically, the law written on the two tables of stone was called the covenant: Exod. xxxiv. 28, "He wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." Now, this law was purely preceptive, and an effect of sovereign authority, yet is it called a covenant. But this it is not absolutely in its own nature, seeing no mere precept, nor system of precepts as such, nor any mere promise, can be a covenant properly so called; but it was a principal part of God's covenant with the people, when accepted by them as the rule of their obedience, with respect unto the promises wherewith it was accompanied. Hence the tables of stone whereon this law was written are called "The tables of the covenant:" Deut. ix. 11, nan nina tables of stone, the tables of the covenant." first made by God himself, Exod. xxxi. 18, and given into the hands of Moses; and when they were broken, he was commanded So, to effigiate them, or cut stones after their image, into their likeness, for the first were seen only by himself, Deut. x. 11; Exod. xxxiv. 1. And when they were broken, whereby their use and signification ceased, they were not kept as relics, though cut and written by the finger or divine power of God,-which doubtless the superstition of succeeding ages would have attempted; but the true measure of the sacredness of any thing external is use by divine appoint n;"The two These tables were |
