Covenant-Keeping the Way to Blessedness

p. 1Covenant-Keeping the way to Blessedness.

17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him: and his righteousness unto Childrens Children.

18. To such as keep his Covenant, and to those that remember his Commandments to do them.

IT is an Observation worth our serious minding, that ever since God made Man upon the Earth, he hath dealt with him in the way of a Covenant▪ he was no sooner brought into the World, but was transacted with in this way: and when he had utterly lost himself by his disobedience to the first, then was a new & Gospel Covenant opened and revealed unto him, in that first glorious promise made after mans Apostasie; that the womans Seed should break the Serpents head, Gen. 3.15. The knowledge therefore and understanding of the Covenant, and of our true relation to it, is that which only can help us to the knowledge of our own true estate, which is done by comparing p. 2our selves with it: Here also we learn our duty by framing our selves according to the condition of it. This last is of special moment to be pondered by a Church or People, designing to renew their Covenant with God, and is the main design of this present Discourse.

This Psalm is a Psalm of Praise, its proper design is to move and perswade the Church of God to celebrate His Glorious goodness and mercy to His People; to which end there is from vers. 3. to 20. a particular enumeration of various benefits, for which he is to be acknowledged and honoured in the lips and hearts of His People: One of these is recorded and illustrated from vers. 15. to 19. viz. His endless mercy, and described,

1. By its duration, from everlasting to everlasting, it is not a fading or soon-expiring Love, but abiding; this is illustrated by the contrary, or compa◊ed with the mercy of Man, which must needs be like Himself, and what He is, He tells us, vers. 15, 16. His dayes are as grass, &c. He is a poor, frail, withering, dying thing, blown down like a bubble, with a little puff, soon gone, and the remembrance of him lost in a little time, p. 22. By the subject of it, whereof here is a threefold Character, all indeed aiming at one and the same thing, but varying in the expression, and that for our better information: the subjects thereof are described by,

1. The inward principle whereby they are acted, them that fear him which word is used in the Old Testament to be an expression of the obedience of Faith; [• ar • , quando ad Deum refertur generale est complecte •• omnem reverentiam quae cum veneratione & Religione Deo exhibetur. Chemn.] they that fear God are true Believe◊s, that have received the heart ◊f Children, it intends that reverential and filial fear that is in true Converts, which is the spring and principl of obedience

p. 32. The practice of this principle▪ such as keep His Covenant: i. e. those that so order their lives, as to observe the obligation lying upon them in the Covenant, and endeavour to frame themselves according to the Terms and Prescripts of it, and that observe the conditions of it.

3. The rule which they follow in their practice, and how they follow this rule; that remember His Commandments to do them: i. e. that study much to acquaint themselves with the will of God about their duty▪ or how He expects that they should order themselves and their wayes; and this with full purpose, and constant endeavour to practise accordingly. Though it be the second of these I mainly intend to follow, yet so as including or comprehending of the other two, for he that keeps Covenant is one that fears God and keep◊ His commandments; these two comprize all that is req◊◊◊ed in the Covenant, Eccl. 12.13.

3. By the Intaile of it, vers. 17. where the word Righteousness, is put in instead of the word Mercy, to note unto us the sweet consent that is between Justice and Mercy in this work, and also to confirme us in the beliefe of the certainty of the accomplishment of this promise, inasmuch as God being a God of Righteousness, cannot but do that which is right, he will therefore Perpetuate his mercy according to the tenor and Terms of his Covenant.

p. 3[Berith Ab eligendo, quia eliguntur Personae &c. Buxtorf. quod foedus est mutuus Consensus duorum, super aliqua re,] The word Covenant, used in our text, implies a mutual obligation, and voluntary, between parties, comes from a Root which signifies to chuse, because in a Covenant there is a choise of parties and conditions.

[Shamar Connotat Curam, Solicitudinem, & Diligentiam, Rivet,] The word Keeping, implyes a watchful care: a Noun from the Verb signifies Watch-Tower, implying that p. 4it is no easie matter to keep Covenant, but requires care, diligence, vigilance, observation, and much pains, all which are required in a watchman

The text propounds a great benefit, with a condition: i. e. it tell us that there are great and glorious things to be had with God, and shews us the way in which they are to be enjoyed: and lest any should suppose this to be a legal and not evangelical proposition, let the terms of it be exactly minded, and we shall be satisfied: The promise speakes not of things to be merited, purchased, or earned by us, which are legall terms, but it speaks of Mercy: now the dispensation of everlasting Mercy belongs not to the Covenant of Works, but of Grace: the Covenant of Works hath no mention of Mercy: Besides, wherever any mention is made of favour to fallen Adam's Children, it is of Grace: The first Covenant affords no relief to these. It outreacheth the power of fallen Man to keep that Covenant, and in such a way to obtain the Promise.