The New Covenant of Grace

LECT , II . )

THE ATONEMENT .

43 About mankind thus fallen there are transcendent counsellings how else can you speak ? The Three Persons of the Godhead decree salvation , and the second ( all-willing) undertakes the work . A cove nant of grace is entered into between the Father as representing essential Deity, and the Son , invested already with the mediatorial office, in which it is con

cluded the latter shall in an actual incarnate state take the law -place >,' as it was said , of the chosen ones , and by His all - meritorious sufferings and death render all that law and justice could exact of broken man ; ' and that this should be accepted as the redemption price on the ground of which all for whom He thus vicariously acted should have full law -quittance as to their guilt, acceptance , sonship , holiness, and everlasting life, as well as whatever was required to make the pur chased inheritance the real possession of the ransomed .

This is the substance of the matter . But far more than this have our old authors to unfold of the glories of the grace covenant . Under its promises you have

not a mere restoration to the Adamic state .

The believer is first of all exalted to that higher position which our first parents , and we in them , would have attained if Edenic probation had ended happily to that real and glorious justification , with its nearer relation to God and its unfailing security in the righteousness of Christ. A new and peculiar right of sonship is taken out by the Lord Jesus , in which

His people share . Sometimes it almost seems as if things very extreme were spoken about that new and nobler life, a life almost distinct in kind , which the

new man has in his Lord .