OF THE CONCERN
THE SPIRIT OF GOD HAS
IN THE
COVENANT OF GRACE
John Gill
Having considered the parts which
the Father and the Son have taken in the covenant, the part which the Holy
Spirit has in it is next to be treated of; who was not a
mere bystander, spectator, and witness of this solemn transaction, compact, and
agreement, between the Father and the Son, but was a party concerned in it.
And,
1. First, The third person,
the Spirit, gave his approbation of, and assent unto every article
in the covenant.
1a. In general, what respected
the salvation of the chosen ones; for that is the grand and principal article
of the covenant; "this", says David, speaking of the covenant,
"is all my salvation", #2Sa 23:5 that is, the whole of his salvation;
all things relative to it were provided for in it, and
secured by it; in the economy of which each Person took his part; and that of
the Spirit is Sanctification; which makes meet for the enjoyment of complete
and eternal salvation; hence called "the sanctification of the
Spirit", #2Th 2:13 1Pe 1:2. And this clearly shows, that the Spirit
approved of, and assented to the whole scheme of salvation, or of the thing
itself in general; or otherwise he would never have taken a
part in it; and as it was the purpose and will of God the Father to save men by
his Son, and he appointed them to obtain salvation by him; so the Son of God
came to seek and save men, being sent of God for that purpose in which mission
of him the Spirit joined; "Now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent
me", #Isa 48:16 which is a plain proof that he approved of and assented to it, that the Son of God should be the Saviour of
men; and whereas it was proper that the Son of God should assume human nature,
and in it work out the salvation of men; and which was agreed upon between the
Father and the Son; so it was approved of and assented to by the Spirit; as
appears from his concern in the incarnation of Christ; for what was
"conceived in the Virgin was of the Holy Ghost",
#Mt 1:18,20 and, seeing it was necessary that the Saviour of men should suffer
and die for them, to satisfy law and justice; and the divine Father enjoined
his Son to lay down his life for them; to which command he became obedient; so
the Spirit declared his approbation of it, by testifying beforehand, in the
prophets, "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow";
as well as was assisting to the human nature of Christ, in
the sacrifice of himself; since it was "through the eternal Spirit",
he offered up himself without spot to God, #1Pe 1:11 Heb 9:14. Once more, as it
was highly proper, that as Christ should be delivered to death for the offences
of men, so that he should rise again for their justification; or otherwise, the
whole affair of salvation would have miscarried; hence the Father in covenant
enjoined his Son, as to lay down his life, so to take it up
again; and which he did, and in which the Spirit was concerned; and which
showed his approbation of this closing part of the scheme of salvation by
Christ; see #Ro 1:4.
1b. The
Spirit of God approved of and assented to all the promises in the covenant:
there are many exceeding great and precious promises in the Scriptures, which
are transcribed from the covenant, and are all Yea and Amen in Christ, and in
which the Spirit has a concern; hence he is called "the Holy Spirit of
promise", #Eph 1:13 indeed, he himself is the great promise of the
covenant; promised both to Christ the Head, and to his
members, #Mt 12:18 Isa 42:1 44:3 Ga 3:14 and he is concerned in the application
of every promise to the elect; it is he that remembers to them the word of
promise, on which the Lord has sometimes caused them to hope; and it is he that
opens the promise to them, instructs them in it, and shows them what is
contained in it, the nature, use, and suitableness of it; it is he that applies
the promises to them at a proper season, when they are like
apples of gold in pictures of silver; and he it is that keeps up their faith
and hope, as to the grand promise of eternal life; so that they, "through
the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith", #Joh 14:26 Pr
25:11 Ga 5:5 by which it appears, that he approved of every promise of the
covenant made in eternity, or he would never act the part he does, in the application of them in time.
1c. The blessed Spirit
approved of and gave his assent to all the grants made to Christ, and to his
people in the covenant, to the sure mercies of David, to the spiritual
blessings wherewith the elect are blessed in heavenly places in Christ; for he takes of these in time, and shows them to the persons
interested in them, and their interest therein, #Joh 16:14 which he would not
do, if he had not approved of the grants of these blessings to them, in the
everlasting covenant; as for instance, the blessing of a justifying
righteousness, to be wrought out by Christ, was provided in the covenant; and which
being brought in, is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith:
and besides the external revelation of it in the gospel, the Spirit of God
brings near this righteousness, and sets it in the view of an awakened sinner,
and shows him its suitableness, fulness, and excellency, works faith in him to
receive it, and pronounces in his conscience his justification by it; hence it
is said of such, that they are "justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and by the Spirit our God", #1Co 6:11. Pardon of sin is
another blessing of the covenant through Christ, and the Spirit takes the blood
of Christ, the blood of the covenant, shed for the remission of sin, and
sprinkles it on the conscience, and thereby speaks peace and pardon to it;
saying, Son, or "daughter, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven
thee", #Heb 8:12 10:22 12:24. Adoption also, a blessing of grace, provided
in the covenant, and which the Spirit bears witness to and
makes application of, and is sent down into the hearts of the covenant and
adopted ones for that purpose, and is hence called "the Spirit of
adoption", #2Co 6:18 Ga 4:6 #Ro 8:15,16. In short, all the grace given to
the elect in Christ, before the world began, all the things that are freely
given them of God in the covenant, the Spirit in time makes known unto them,
and declares and testifies their interests in them, #1Co
1:12 2:9-11. All which abundantly prove his approbation of and assent unto
everything contained in the covenant of grace.
2. Secondly, There are many
things which the Holy Spirit himself undertook and engaged in covenant to do;
and nothing more strongly proves this than his doing them;
for had he not agreed to do them, they would not have been done by him. And,
2a. First, Some things he has
done, as he agreed to do, with respect to Christ; he formed the human nature of
Christ, in which he obeyed and suffered for the salvation
of the elect: every individual of human nature is, indeed, made by him;
"The Spirit of God hath made me", says Elihu, #Job 33:4 but the
individual of Christ's human nature, was "fearfully and wonderfully
made" by him, as David, representing him, says he was "in secret, and
curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth", in the womb of the
Virgin, according to the model of it, in the book of God's
purposes and decrees; it was produced by the power of the Highest, the
overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, without the instrumentality of man; and so was
free from the pollution of sin, propagated by ordinary and natural generation,
and therefore called the holy thing, born of the Virgin, #Ps 139:14-16 Lu 1:35.
The Spirit of God filled the same human nature with his gifts and graces
without measure, which are the oil of gladness he anointed
him with above his fellows, and thereby fitted and qualified him as man, for
the discharge of his office as Mediator, #Isa 11:1-3 #Isa 42:1 61:1 he
descended upon him as a dove at his baptism; which was the signal by which John
the Baptist knew he was the Messiah, and pointed him out as such to others; he
assisted him as man, in the ministry of the gospel, whereby he spake
as never man did, and with an authority the Scribes and Pharisees did not; and
in the performance of miracles; for he cast out devils, as he himself says, by
"the Spirit of God", #Mt 12:28. He also was concerned in Christ's
offering up himself a Sacrifice; and in his resurrection from the dead, as
before observed; whereby he glorified him, as well as by other things, Christ
said he would, #Joh 16:14. All which he did according to
covenant agreements and settlements.
2b. Secondly, There are other
things he has done, as he agreed to do, with respect to men; either,
2b1.
To such as are in a public office and capacity, as the
prophets of
the Old Testament; whom he inspired to speak and
write as they
did, #2Pe 1:21 and the apostles of the New,
who were
endowed with power from on high, with his
extraordinary
gifts to preach the gospel, in all languages,
to
all people, and to confirm it with miracles, #Ac 1:4,5
#Ac 2:4 Heb 2:3,4
and ordinary ministers of the word, in
all
succeeding generations, with gifts and grace suitable to
their office;
whom he calls and separates to it, directs
where they
should go, he has work for them to do, and makes
them
overseers of flocks or churches committed to their care,
#Ac 13:2
16:6,7 20:28 and it is he that makes the word
preached by
them effectual to the conviction and conversion
of sinners,
and to the comfort and edification of saints;
and whereby
he conveys himself into the hearts of men,
#1Th
1:5,6 2Co 3:6,8 Ga 3:2. All which he undertook to
do, and has
done. Or,
2b2. To such
as are in a private capacity, to whom he is,
2b2a.
A Spirit "of conviction"; he convinces them of sin,
original,
actual, of all their sins of thought, word, and
deed; of the
demerit of sin, and of the inability of men to
make
atonement for it; and brings them to such a sense of
it, as to
loath it, and themselves for it; to blush and be
ashamed
of it, and to have such a godly sorrow for it, which
works
repentance unto salvation. And "of righteousness"; of
the
insufficiency of their own righteousness to justify them
before God;
and of the excellency and suitableness of the
righteousness
of Christ. And "of judgment"; that there is
one
not to be escaped, and at which all must appear, and in
which there
will be no standing, but in the righteousness of
Christ, #Joh
16:8.
2b2b. A
Spirit "of regeneration" and "renovation"; men must be
born
again, and they that are born of God, even of the
Spirit of
God, are renewed by him in the Spirit of their
minds; all
things are made new; a new man is created in
them, a new
heart and a new spirit are given unto them,
according to
the covenant of grace; hence we read of
"regeneration",
and "the renewing of the Holy Ghost",
#Tit 3:5.
2b2c. A
Spirit "of faith"; all men have not faith, only God's
elect; and
therefore true faith is called the faith of God's
elect;
and those that have it, have it not of themselves, it
is the gift
of God; it is of the operation of God, a work of
his almighty
power, begun, carried on, and performed with
power, and
that by the Holy Ghost: and therefore he is
called
"the Spirit of faith", #2Co 4:13.
2b2d. A
"Comforter", under which character he is often spoken of,
and promised
by Christ, that he should be sent by him, and
from his
Father, according to covenant agreements; and which
office, as he
freely undertook in covenant, he performs, by
shedding
abroad the love of God and Christ in the hearts of
his people;
by leading into the comfortable doctrines of the
gospel; by
opening and applying the precious promises of it;
by taking of
the things of Christ, and showing them to them;
and by
witnessing to them their adoption; and by being the
earnest
of their inheritance, and the sealer of them up unto
the day of
redemption.
2b2e. A
Sanctifier; if any are sanctified, it is by the Spirit of
God;
sanctification is his work, and therefore called "the
sanctification
of the Spirit", as before observed: it is the
Spirit that begins,
and carries on, and finishes the work of
grace and
holiness upon the hearts of God's elect, without
which no man
shall see the Lord. He is the Spirit of
strength to
the saints, to enable them to exercise grace,
and
to perform duties he is put into them according to the
covenant of
grace, to cause them to walk in the statutes and
judgments of
the Lord to do them; to strengthen them to walk
on in the
ways of the Lord, and to persevere in faith and
holiness to
the end. And all this the Spirit of God does, as
he
engaged and undertook to do, in the everlasting covenant;
and therefore
he is said to "come", being sent, to do these
things; not
without his will and consent, but according to
his voluntary
engagements in covenant, without which he
could not be
sent by the Father and the Son, being equal to
them;
and this will account for the several passages where
he is said to
be sent by the Father, in the name of Christ,
and by
Christ, front the Father, #Joh 14:16,26 15:26 16:7
#Ga 4:6. This
being all agreed on, and settled in the
covenant
between them.