OF CHRIST, AS THE
COVENANT HEAD OF THE ELECT
John Gill
There are various characters,
relations, and offices, which Christ sustains in the covenant of grace; among
which, that of a federal Head is one: Christ is often said to be the "Head
of the Church"; not of any particular congregation of saints, in this or the other part of the world; but of the church of the
firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, even of all the elect of God,
that ever have been, are, or will be in the world, #Eph 1:22,23 5:23 Col 1:18
and he is a Head to them in different senses; he is that to them as a natural
head is to a natural body, and the members of it; which is if the same nature
with it, superior to it, communicates life, sense, and motion
to it, as well as overlooks and protects it; such an Head of influence is
Christ to the church, the source of life to it, from whom nourishment is
derived, and all the supplies of grace, #Eph 4:15,16 Col 2:19. He is an Head in
a political sense, as a captain general is head of his army, and a king is head
of his subjects, #Jud 10:18 11:11 Ho 1:11 and in an economical sense, as the
husband is the head of the wife, and a father the head of
his children, and a master the head of his servants and of his whole family,
#Nu 1:4 Eph 5:23,24 Isa 9:6 Mt 23:10. The headship of Christ in these several
senses, chiefly belongs to his Kingly office; but besides these, he is the
representative head of his church, or of all the elect of God; they were all
considered in him, and represented by him, when he covenanted with his Father
for them; all that he engaged to do and suffer, was not only
on their account, but in their name and stead; and all that he received,
promises and blessings, were not only for them, but he received them as
representing them. As Christ was given to be the covenant of the people, so to
be an Head of them in it, #Eph 1:22. And thus,
1. Christ
was considered in election; he was chosen as Head, and his people as members in
him, and so they had union to him, and a representative being in him before the
world began; they did not then personally exist, but Christ did, who
represented them, and therefore were capable of being chosen in him, as they
were, #Eph 1:4.
2. Such a relation Christ
stood in to them in the covenant, that was made, not with him alone, but with
all the elect of God, considered in him as their head and representative; hence
we read of "the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ";
which was of God made sure and firm with his covenant people, in Christ, as their Head, before the foundation of the world; when as yet
they had not an actual being, only a representative one in Christ, #Ga 3:17 and
hence the covenant was made sure to them in him, before the manifestation and
application of it to Abraham, and his spiritual seed spoken of in the preceding
verse; so that "the law, which was four hundred and thirty years
after" that revelation and manifestation of the
covenant to Abraham, "cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of
none effect"; for what commences in time, can never make void what was
confirmed in eternity.
3. The promises of grace and
glory, made to the elect of God in covenant, were made to
them, as considered in Christ, their head and representative; for whereas these
promises were made before the world began, #Tit 1:2 they could not be made to
them in their own persons, but as represented by Christ, and therefore were
made to him their Head, and to them in him; and hence the promise of life is
said to be "in" him, #2Ti 1:1 and indeed, all the promises are Yea
and Amen "in him", #2Co 1:20. The apostle having
said, that "to Abraham and his seed were the promises made",
observes, "he saith not" and "to seeds, as of many, but as of
one, and to thy seed, which is Christ"; who is the head and representative
of all his spiritual offspring, and in whom they are all collected and
considered; all the promises made, manifested, and applied to Abraham, and his
spiritual seed, were originally made to Christ, the
everlasting Father of his spiritual offspring, the common Head and Parent of
them, #Ga 3:16.
4. All the blessings of grace,
and grants of them in the covenant of grace, given and made to the elect in it,
were given and made to Christ first in their name, and as representing
them, and to them in him, as considered in him, their head and representative;
for when these grants were made, and blessings bestowed, they were not in
actual being, only had a representative one in Christ their head; hence grace
is said to be given them "in Christ Jesus", before the world began;
and they to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places "in
Christ", as they were chosen in him before the
formation of the world, #2Ti 1:9 Eph 1:3,4.
5. Christ, in the everlasting
covenant, engaged in the name of his people, to obey and suffer in their stead;
and accordingly he did both in time, as their Head and Representative. He
obeyed the law, and fulfilled all righteousness, not as a single individual of human nature, and for himself, but as the federal
Head of his people, as representing them; "That so the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us", says the apostle, #Ro 8:4 that is, in
the elect of God, they being considered in Christ their Head, when he became
the fulfilling End of the law for righteousness unto them; and so they were
made, or accounted, the righteousness of God "in him" their Head, #Ro 10:4 2Co 5:21 in like manner as he in their name
engaged to suffer for them; so in time he suffered in their room and stead, as
their head and representative; insomuch that they may be truly said to suffer
with him; they were all gathered together, recollected in one Head, "in
Christ", and sustained and represented by him when he hung upon the cross,
and are said to be "crucified with" him, #Eph 1:10
Col 2:12.
6. In consequence of Christ's
covenant engagements and performances, when he rose from the dead, he rose not
as a private Person, but as a public Person, as the head and representative of
all those for whom he obeyed and suffered; and therefore
they are said to be quickened and raised together with him, as they were then
also justified in him, when he himself, as their Head and Surety was, #Eph
2:5,6 Col 3:1 1Ti 3:16. Yea, Christ is also gone to heaven, not only as the
Forerunner of his people, but as their Head and Representative; he has taken
possession of heaven in their name, appears in the presence of God for them,
and represents them, as the high priest did the children of
Israel, in the holy of holies; and hence they are said to be made to sit
together in heavenly places "in Christ Jesus", #Eph 2:6.
7. The federal headship of
Christ, may be argued and concluded from Adam being a federal
head and representative of all his natural offspring; in which he was "the
figure of him that was to come", that is, Christ; for it was in that
chiefly, if not solely, that he was a figure of Christ; at least, that is the
chief, if not the only thing the apostle has in view, #Ro 5:14 as appears by his
running the parallel between them, as heads and representatives of their
respective offspring: Adam, through his fall, conveying sin
and death to all his natural descendants; and Christ, through the free gift of
himself, communicating grace, righteousness, and life to all his spiritual
seed, the elect, the children his Father gave him: and hence these two are
spoken of as the first and last Adam, and the first and second man; as if they
were the only two men in the world, being the representatives of each of their
seeds, which are included in them, #1Co 15:45,47.
Now, as Christ stands in the
relation of an Head to the elect, he has all things delivered into his hands;
in honour to him, and in love both to him and them, and for their good; God has
given him to be "Head over all things" to the church, #Mt 11:27 Joh 3:35 Eph 1:22 all persons and things are under his
command, and at his dispose, to subserve his interest as Head of the church;
even angels and men, good and bad, and all things in heaven and in earth; all
power therein to protect and defend his people, and to provide for them; all
fulness of grace, and the blessings of it to supply them; the government of the
church, and of the world, is on his shoulders, who
represents them; and therefore their persons, grace, and glory, must be safe in
him; the covenant, and all its blessings and promises, are sure in him, the
Head and Representative of his people in it.