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T H E By J O H N.B U N Y A N. 1659. The last book John Bunyan wrote before being placed in Bedford Prison for twelve years. |
[THE NEW COVENANT FREE AND UNCHANGEABLE, WHO ARE UNDER IT, AND THEIR PRIVILEGES.]
ow we are to proceed, and the things that we are to treat upon
in the second place are these—First. [Besides the reasons already given.] Why is
it a free and unchangeable grace? SECOND. Who they are that are actually brought
into His free and unchangeable Covenant of Grace, and how they are brought in? THIRD.
What are the privileges of those that are actually brought into this free and glorious
grace of the glorious God of Heaven and glory?
[THE NEW COVENANT FREE AND UNCHANGEABLE BECAUSE MADE WITH CHRIST.]
FIRST. WHY IT IS A FREE AND UNCHANGEABLE GRACE.
And for the opening of this we must consider, first, How and through Whom this grace
doth come to be, first, free to us, and, secondly, unchangeable? This grace is free
to us through conditions in Another—that is, by way of covenant or bargain; for this
grace comes by way of covenant or bargain to us, yet made with Another for us.
First. That it comes by way of covenant, contract, or bargain, though not personally
with us, be pleased to consider these Scriptures, where it is said, "I have
made a covenant with My Chosen: I have sworn unto David [The word David in this place
signifieth Christ, as also in these Scriptures—(Eze 34:23,24; 37:24,25).] My servant"
(Psa 89:3). "And as for Thee also, by the blood of Thy covenant," speaking
of Christ, "I have sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water,"
(Zech 9:9-11). Again; "Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed
without money" (Isa 52:3). Blessed be the Lord," therefore, saith Zacharias,
"for He hath visited and" also "redeemed His people, and hath raised
up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake by
the mouth of His holy Prophets, which have been since the world began; that we should
be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us; to perform the
mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant," or bargain
(Luke 1:68-72). [I might give you more Scriptures; but pray consider the second thing.]
And if any should be offended with the plainness of these words, as some poor souls
may be through ignorance, let them be pleased to read soberly Isaiah 49:1-12, and
there they may see that it runs as plain a bargain as if two would be making of a
bargain between themselves, and concluding upon several conditions on both sides.
But more of this hereafter. Now,
Second. This covenant, I say, was made with One, not with many, and also confirmed
in the conditions of it with One, not with several. First, that the covenant was
made with One (Gal 3:16). "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.
He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is
Christ" (Verse 17). "And this, I say, that the covenant that was confirmed
before of God, in Christ," etc. The covenant was made with the Seed of Abraham;
not the seeds, but the Seed, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, our Head and Undertaker
in the things concerning the covenant.
Third. The condition was made with One, and also accomplished by Him alone, and not
by several; yet in the nature, and for the everlasting deliverance of many; even
by one man Jesus Christ, as it is clear from Romans 5:15-17, etc., and in Zechariah
9:11, the Lord saith to Christ, "And as for Thee"—mark, "As for Thee
also, by the blood of Thy covenant," or as for Thee whose covenant was by blood;
that is, the condition of the covenant was, that Thou shouldst spill Thy blood; which
having been done in the account of God, saith He, I according to My condition have
let go the prisoners, or sent them "out of the pit wherein is no water."
Those Scriptures in Galatians 3:16,17 that are above cited, are notably to our purpose;
Verse 16 saith it was made with Christ, Verse 17 saith it was also confirmed in or
with God in Him. Pray read with understanding. "Now," saith Paul, "the
promises were not made unto seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which
is Christ." . . . . "The law, which was four hundred and thirty years after,
cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." Not that the
covenant was made with Abraham and Christ together, as two persons that were the
undertakers of the same; the promise was made with, or to, Abraham afterwards; but
the covenant with Christ before.
[Neither Abraham nor the fathers able to undertake the accomplishment of this covenant.]
Further, that the covenant was not personally made with Abraham, no, nor with any
of the fathers, neither so as that they were the persons that should stand engaged
to be the accomplishers thereof, either in whole or in part; which is very clear.
First. Because this covenant was not made with God and the creature; not with another
poor Adam, that only stood upon the strength of natural abilities; but this covenant
was made with the second Person, with the Eternal Word of God; with Him that was
everyways as holy, as pure, as infinite, as powerful, and as everlasting as God (Prov
8:22-31; Isa 9:6; Zech 13:7; Phil 2:6; Heb 1; Rev 1:11-17; 22:13,17).
Second. This covenant or bargain was made in deed and in truth before man was in
being. O! God thought of the salvation of man before there was any transgression
of man; for then, I say, and not since then, was the Covenant of Grace made with
the Undertaker thereof; for all the other sayings are to show unto us that glorious
plot and contrivance that was concluded on before time between the Father and the
Son, which may very well be concluded on for a truth from the Word of God, if you
consider, 1. That the Scripture doth declare that the price was agreed on by the
Son before time; 2. The promise was made to Him by the Father that He should have
His bargain before time; 3. The choice, and who they were that should be saved was
made before time, even before the world began.
1. For the first, That the price was agreed upon before the world began. Consider
the word which speaketh of the price that was paid for sinners, even the precious
blood of Christ; it saith of Him, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe,"
etc. (1 Peter 1:20,21). Mark, it was foreordained or concluded on between the Father
and the Son before the world began.
2. The promise from God to the Son was also made in the same manner, as it is clear
where the Apostle saith with comfort to his soul, that he had "hope of eternal
life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began," (Titus 1:2)
which could be to none but the Mediator of the new covenant, because there was none
else to whom it should be made but He.
3. The choice was also made then, even before man had a being in this world, as it
is evident where he saith, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN Christ:
according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph 1:3,4). [Did I think
this would meet with any opposition, I should be in this more large.] Nay, did I
look upon it here to be necessary, I should show you very largely and clearly that
God did not only make the covenant with Christ before the world began, and the conditions
thereof, but I could also show you that the very saints' qualifications, as part
of the covenant, was then concluded on by the Father and the Son according to these
Scriptures, which, it may be, I may touch upon further anon (Eph 1:3,4; 2:10; Rom
8:28). But,
Third. This covenant was not made with any of the fathers, neither in whole nor in
part, as the undertakers thereof; for then it must be also concluded that they are
co-partners with Christ in our salvation, and so that Christ is not Mediator alone;
but this would be blasphemy for any once to surmise. And therefore, by the way, when
thou readest of the new covenant in Scripture as though it was made with Adam, Noah,
Abraham, or David, thou art to consider thus with thyself—1. That God spake to them
in such a way for to show or signify unto us how He did make the covenant that He
did make with Christ before the world began, they being types of Him. 2. That He
thereby might let them understand that He was the same then as He is now, and now
as He was then; and that then it was resolved on between His Son and HIM, that in
after ages His Son should in their natures, from their loins, and for their sins,
be born of a woman, hanged on the Cross, etc., for them: for all along you may see
that when He speaketh to them of the new covenant, He mentions their seed—their seed—still
aiming at Christ; Christ, the Seed of the woman, was to break the serpent's head
(Gen 3:15; 17; Psa 89:36). Now to Abraham and his Seed was the promise made; his
Seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the days of Heaven, etc.; still pointing
at Christ. And, 3. To stir up their faith and expectations to be constant unto the
end in waiting for that which He and His Son had concluded on before time, and what
He had since the conclusion declared unto the world by the Prophets. 4. It appeareth
that the heart of God was much delighted therein also, as is evident, in that He
was always in every age declaring of that unto them which before He had prepared
for them. O this good God of Heaven!
Objection: But you will say, perhaps, the Scriptures say plainly that the new covenant
was and is made with believers, saying, "The days come, saith the Lord, that
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I led
them out of the land of Egypt," etc. (Heb 8:8-10). So that it doth not run with
Christ alone, but with believers also—I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and Judah, etc. (Jer 31:33).
Answer first: It cannot be meant that the new covenant was made with Christ, and
the house of Israel and Judah as the undertakers thereof; for so it was made with
Christ alone, which is clear, in that it was made long before the house of Israel
and Judah had a being, as I showed before. But,
Answer second: These words here are spoken, first, to show rather the end of the
ceremonies than the beginning or rise of the new covenant. Mind a little; the Apostle
is labouring to beat the Jews, to whom he wrote this Epistle, off of the ceremonies
of the law, of the priests, altar, offerings, temple, etc., and to bring them to
the right understanding of the thing and things that they held forth, which were
to come, and to put an end to those. If you do but understand the Epistle to the
Hebrews, it is a discourse that showeth that the Son of God being come, there is
an end put to the ceremonies; for they were to continue so long and no longer—"It,"
saith the Apostle, "stood in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation"; that is, until Christ
did come. "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come,"
etc., puts an end to the things and ordinances of the Levitical priesthood. Read
the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Chapters of Hebrews, and you will find this true.
So, then, when He saith, "The days come in which I make a new covenant,"
it is rather to be meant a changing of the administration, taking away the type,
the shadow, the ceremonies from the house of Israel and Judah, and relieving by the
birth of Christ, and the death of Christ, and the offering of the body of Him whom
the shadows and types did point out to be indeed He whom God the Father had given
for a ransom by covenant for the souls of the saints; and also to manifest the truth
of that covenant which was made between the Father and the Son before the world began;
for though the new covenant was made before the world began, and also every one in
all ages was saved by the virtue of that covenant, yet that covenant was never so
clearly made manifest as at the coming, death, and resurrection of Christ; and therefore,
saith the Scripture, "He hath brought life and immortality to light through
the Gospel." "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling"
not according to" the "works" of righteousness which we have done,
"but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began," there is the covenant, but it was "made MANIFEST
by the APPEARING of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and brought
life and immortality to LIGHT through the Gospel" (2 Tim 1:9,10). Therefore,
I say, these words are therefore to discover that the time was come to change the
dispensation, to take away the type, and bring in the substance, and so manifesting
that more clearly which before lay hid in dark sayings and figures. And this is usual
with God to speak in this manner.
Again; if at any time you do find in Scripture that the Covenant of Works is spoken
of as the first covenant that was manifested, and so before the second covenant,
yet you must understand that it was so only as to manifestation—that is, it was first
given to man, yet not made before that which was made with Christ; and indeed it
was requisite that it should be given or made known first, that thereby there might
be a way made for the second, by its discovering of sin, and the sad state that man
was in after the Fall by reason of that. And again, that the other might be made
the more welcome to the sons of men. Yet the second Adam was before the first, and
also the second covenant before the first. This is a riddle].
And in this did Christ in time most gloriously answer Adam, who was the figure of
Christ, as well as of other things. Romans 5. For, Was the first covenant made with
the first Adam? so was the second covenant made with the second; for these are and
were the two great public persons, or representators of the whole world, as to the
first and second covenants; and therefore you find God speaking on this wise in Scripture
concerning the new covenant—"My covenant shall stand fast with HIM." "My
mercy will I keep for HIM for evermore," saith God: "My covenant shall
stand fast with HIM" (Psa 89:28,34,35); this HIM is Christ, if you compare this
with Luke 1:32, "My covenant will I not break"—namely, that which was made
with HIM—"nor alter the thing that is gone out of My mouth. Once I have sworn
by My holiness that I will not lie unto David," [David here is to be understood
Christ.] to whom this was spoken figuratively in the Person of Christ; for that was
God's usual way to speak of the glorious things of the Gospel in the time of the
Law, as I said before.
THE SECOND PART
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