Chapter 5, A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a… by Thomas Brooks (1669) | AskReformation

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:698p. 368–369§4

Now, when ever you look upon your graces or gracious evidences with one eye, be sure you look upon the Covenant of grace, your last royal Fort with the other eye. The whole hinge of a mans comfort and happiness hangs upon the Cove• of grace. The Covenant of grace is the Saints original title to […] 'tis a Saints best and brightest evidence for life and salvation. ••re was an eternal design (an eternal plot, if I may so speak) be••• God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ; a bargain, a Covenant ••de between the Father and the Son, for the salvation of his chosen […]; and by this patient and tenure of grace, all Saints have title to heaven, &c. Dear Christians, many times your gracious evidences are so blotted and blurred that you can't read them. O then, turn to the Covenant of grace; when other evidences fail you, the Covenant of grace will be a glorious standing evidence to you; 'tis upon the score of the Covenant that you must challenge an interest in all the glory of another world. The Covenant of grace is the great Charter, the Magna Charta of all your spiritual privileges and immunities. Now in this great Charter the Lord declares, That sincerity shall go for perfection:¹ In this great Charter the Lord hath declared, That he judges his people by the standing bent and frame of their hearts, and not by what they are, under some pangs of passion, or in an hour of temptation. In this great Charter the Lord declares, That his eye is more upon his peoples inward disposition, than 'tis upon their outward actions; and that his eye is more upon their will,² than 'tis upon their work. In this great Charter, the Covenant of grace, the Lord hath declared, That he will not forsake his people, nor cast off his people,³ because of those failings and weaknesses that may and do attend them, 1 Sam. 12.22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. He chose you for his love, and he still loveth you for his choice. God will rather ⟨p. 369⟩pity his people under their weakness, than he will reject them for their weakness. The Covenant of grace that God hath made with his people, is as the Covenant that a man makes with his Wife. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, saith the Lord. ⁴Turn O back-s•iding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you.

Now, when ever you look upon your graces or gracious evidences with one eye, be sure you look upon the Covenant of grace, your last royal Fort with the other eye. The whole hing of a mans comfort and happiness hangs upon the Cove• of grace. The Covenant of grace is the Saints original title to 〈…〉 'tis a Saints best and brightest evidence for life and salvation. ••re was an eternal design (an eternal plot, if I may so speak) be••• God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ; a bargain, a Covenant ••de between the Father and the Son, for the salvation of his chosen 〈…〉; and by this patient and tenure of grace, all Saints have title to heaven, &c. Dear Christians, many times your gracious evidences are so blotted and blur'd that you can't read them. O then, turn to the Covenant of grace; when other evidences fail you, the Covenant of grace will be a glorious standing evidence to you; 'tis upon the score of the Covenant that you must challenge an interest in all the glory of another world. The Covenant of grace is the great Charter, the Magna Charta of all your spiritual priviledges and immunities. Now in this great Charter the Lord declares, That sincerity shall go for perfection:¹ In this great Charter the Lord hath declared, That he judges his people by the standing bent and frame of their hearts, and not by what they are, under some pangs of passion, or in an hour of temptation. In this great Charter the Lord declares, That his eye is more upon his peoples inward disposition, than 'tis upon their outward actions; and that his eye is more upon their will,² than 'tis upon their work. In this great Charter, the Covenant of grace, the Lord hath declared, That he will not forsake his people, nor cast off his people,³ because of those failings and weaknesses that may and do attend them, 1 Sam. 12.22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. He chose you for his love, and he still loveth you for his choice. God will rather ⟨p. 369⟩pity his people under their weakness, than he will reject them for their weakness. The Covenant of grace that God hath made with his people, is as the Covenant that a man makes with his Wife. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, saith the Lord.

1Luke 1.5, 6. Acts 13.22. 2 Chron 3•.•8, 19, 20.
22 Cor. 8.12. Phil. 2.13.
3Ponder much upon Jer. 31.31, to 38.
4Hos. 2.19, 20. Jer. 3.13.

:705p. 370–371§2

Ordered in all things.] O! what head can conceive, or what tongue can express that infinite counsel, wisdom, love, care and tenderness that the blessed God has expressed in ordering the Covenant of grace, so as it may most and best suit to all the wants, and straits, and necessities, and miseries, and desires, and longings of poor sinners souls. The Covenant of grace is so well ordered by the unsearchable wisdom of God, that you may find in it remedies to cure all your diseases, ⟨p. 371⟩and cordials to comfort you against all your faintings,¹ and a spiritual armoury to arm you against all your enemies, viz. the world, the flesh, and the devil. Dost thou, O distressed sinner, want a loving God, a compassionate God, a reconciled God, a sin pardoning God? here thou mayest find him in the Covenant of grace. Dost thou want a Christ to counsel thee by his wisdom, and to clothe thee with his righteousness, and to adorn thee with his grace? here thou mayest find him in a Covenant of grace. Dost thou want the Spirit to enlighten thee, to teach thee, to convince thee, to awaken thee, to lead thee, to cleanse thee, to cheer thee, and to seal thee up to the day of redemption?² here thou mayest find him in a Covenant of grace. Dost thou want grace, or peace, or rest, or quiet, or content, or comfort, or satisfaction? here thou mayest find it in a Covenant of grace. God has laid into the Covenant of grace, as into a common store, all those things that sinners or Saints can either beg or need. Look, as that is a well ordered Commonwealth where there are no wholesome Laws wanting to govern a people, and where there are no wholesome remedies wanting to relieve a people; so that must needs be a well ordered Covenant, where there is nothing wanting to govern poor souls, or to relieve poor souls, or to save poor souls; and such a Covenant is the Covenant of grace.

Ordered in all things.] O! what head can conceive, or what tongue can express that infinite counsel, wisdom, love, care and tenderness that the blessed God has exprest in ordering the Covenant of grace, so as it may most and best suit to all the wants, and straits, and necessities, and miseries, and desires, and longings of poor sinners souls. The Covenant of grace is so well ordered by the unsearchable wisdom of God, that you may find in it remedies to cure all your diseases, ⟨p. 371⟩and cordials to comfort you against all your faintings,¹ and a spiritual armoury to arm you against all your enemies, viz. the world, the flesh, and the devil. Dost thou, O distressed sinner, want a loving God, a compassionate God, a reconciled God, a sin pardoning God? here thou mayest find him in the Covenant of grace. Dost thou want a Christ to counsel thee by his wisdom, and to cloath thee with his righteousness, and to adorn thee with his grace? here thou mayest find him in a Covenant of grace. Dost thou want the Spirit to enlighten thee, to teach thee, to convince thee, to awaken thee, to lead thee, to cleanse thee, to cheer thee, and to seal thee up to the day of redemption?² here thou mayest find him in a Covenant of grace. Dost thou want grace, or peace, or rest, or quiet, or content, or comfort, or satisfaction? here thou mayest find it in a Covenant of grace. God has laid into the Covenant of grace, as into a common store, all those things that sinners or Saints can either beg or need. Look, as that is a well ordered Commonwealth where there are no wholsom Laws wanting to govern a people, and where there are no wholsom remedies wanting to relieve a people; so that must needs be a well ordered Covenant, where there is nothing wanting to govern poor souls, or to relieve poor souls, or to save poor souls; and such a Covenant is the Covenant of grace.

:706p. 371–372§2

And sure, the Covenant of grace is a sure Covenant,¹ Deut. 7.9. The Lord thy God he is God, the faithful God (or the God of Amen) which keepeth Covenant with them that love him. Psal. 89.33. My Covenant will I not break (Hebrew, I will not profane) nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. All God's precepts, all God's predictions, all God's menaces, and all God's promises, are the issue of a most just, faithful and righteous will. God can neither dye nor lye, Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lye promised before the world began. There are three things that God can't do; 1. He can't dye. Nor, 2. He can't lye. Nor, 3. He can't deny himself, Josh. 23.14. And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth; and ye know in all your hearts, and ⟨p. 372⟩in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you, all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. O Sirs! the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's everlasting love,² upon Gods unchangeable love, upon God's free love; whom God loves once he loves for ever.³ I have loved thee with an everlasting love. God can as well cease to be, as he can cease to love those whom he has taken into Covenant with himself. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's everlasting love, so 'tis bottomed upon Gods immutable counsel,⁴ God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the immutable counsel of God, so it is bottomed upon the free purpose of God, 2 Tim. 2.19. The foundation of God standeth sure; that is, the decree and purpose of God's election stands firm and sure. Now, the purpose of God's election is compared to a foundation, because it is that upon which all our happiness and blessedness is built and bottomed, and because as a foundation it abides firm and sure. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the free purpose of God, so 'tis bottomed upon the glorious power of God. The power of God is an infinite power,⁵ it is a supreme power, a power that overtops the power of all mortals: What's the stubble to the flames, the chaff to the whirlwind? no more is all created power to the power of God. The weakness of God is stronger than men; and did not Pharaoh find it so?

And sure, the Covenant of grace is a sure Covenant,¹ Deut. 7.9. The Lord thy God he is God, the faithful God (or the God of Amen) which keepeth Covenant with them that love him. Psal. 89.33. My Covenant will I not break (Hebrew, I will not prophane) nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. All God's precepts, all God's predictions, all God's menaces, and all God's promises, are the issue of a most just, faithful and righteous will. God can neither dye nor lye, Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lye promised before the world began. There are three things that God can't do; 1. He can't dye. Nor, 2. He can't lye. Nor, 3. He can't deny himself, Josh. 23.14. And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth; and ye know in all your hearts, and ⟨p. 372⟩in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you, all are come to passe unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. O Sirs! the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's everlasting love,² upon Gods unchangable love, upon God's free love; whom God loves once he loves for ever.³ I have loved thee with an everlasting love. God can as well cease to be, as he can cease to love those whom he has taken into Covenant with himself. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon God's everlasting love, so 'tis bottomed upon Gods immutable counsel,⁴ God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the immutable counsel of God, so it is bottomed upon the free purpose of God, 2 Tim. 2.19. The foundation of God standeth sure; that is, the decree and purpose of God's election stands firm and sure. Now, the purpose of God's election is compared to a foundation, because it is that upon which all our happiness and blessedness is built and bottomed, and because as a foundation it abides firm and sure. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the free purpose of God, so 'tis bottomed upon the glorious power of God. The power of God is an infinite power,

1Jer. 31.31, 33, 35, 36, 37. Psal. 19.7. Rev. 3.14. Isa. 54.10.
2John 13.1.
3Jer. 31.3.
4Heb. 6.17.
5Isa. 33.11. Isa. 41.2. Mal. 4.1. 1 Cor. 1.25.

:707p. 372–373§2

and Haman find it so? and Sennacherib find it so? and Nebuchadnezzar find it so? and Belshazzar find it so? and Herod find it so? In all the ages of the world the power of God hath bore down all before it; the power of God is an independent power, a matchless power, an incomparable power, an enduring power, an eternal power. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the power of God,¹ so it is bottomed upon the oath of God, Luke 1.72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy Covenant. Ver. 73. The oath which he sware to our father Abraham. To think that God will break his oath, or be perjured, is an intolerable blasphemy. Once ⟨p. 373⟩more give me leave to say, the Covenant of grace is bottomed not only upon the oath of God, but also upon the precious blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13.20. Mat. 26.28. This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins: Heb. 9.15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the fi•st Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Ver. 17. A Testament is of force after men are dead. It is called a Covenant and a Testament. 1. A Covenant in respect of God, and a Testament in respect of Christ. 2. A Covenant in respect of the manner of agreement, and a Testament in respect of the manner of confirming. Jesus Christ died as a Testator, and by his death confirmed the Testamentary gift before made of Life and Salvation. Now, the Covenant of grace being thus gloriously bottomed as you se•, it must roundly and undeniably follow, that th• Covenant of grace is a sure Covenant.

and Haman find it so? and Sennacherib find it so? and Nebuchadnezzar find it so? and Belshazzar find it so? and Herod find it so? In all the ages of the world the power of God hath bore down all before it; the power of God is an independant power, a matchless power, an incomparable power, an enduring power, an eternal power. And as the Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the power of God,¹ so it is bottomed upon the oath of God, Luke 1.72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy Covenant. Ver. 73. The oath which he sware to our father Abraham. To think that God will break his oath, or be perjured, is an intollerable blasphemy. Once ⟨p. 373⟩more give me leave to say, the Covenant of grace is bottomed not only upon the oath of God, but also upon the precious blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13.20. Mat. 26.28. This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins: Heb. 9.15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the fi•st Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Ver. 17. A Testament is of force after men are dead. It is called a Covenant and a Testament. 1. A Covenant in respect of God, and a Testament in respect of Christ. 2. A Covenant in respect of the manner of agreement, and a Testament in respect of the manner of confirming. Jesus Christ died as a Testator, and by his death confirmed the Testamentary gift before made of Life and Salvation. Now, the Covenant of grace being thus gloriously bottomed as you se•, it must roundly and undeniably follow, that th• Covenant of grace is a sure Covenant.

1Heb. 6.17, 18 Psal. 89.34, 35.

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For this is all my salvation and all my desire.] i. e. This is the great ground of all my hope concerning my salvation, and of all the happiness and blessedness which I look for in another world. This everlasting Covenant, this sure Covenant, is the great Charter of Charters that I have to show for eternal bliss. David was drawing near to his eternal home, and whether his graces and gracious evidences for heavens happiness were bright and shining, or blotted and clouded, I shall not at this time stand to enquire; it is enough that he stays his soul upon the Covenant of grace, and that he comforts and solaces his soul in the Covenant of grace. And, O that all Christians, when their graces and gracious evidences are either clouded or blotted, or else sparkling and shining, that they would frequently eye these three royal Forts, viz. 1. The free-grace and favour of God. 2. The Mediatory righteousness of Christ. 3. The Covenant of grace. Now, that I may the more effectually prevail with you to look upon these royal Forts, and to delight in these royal Forts, and to prize these royal Forts, and to improve ⟨p. 374⟩these royal Forts. Give me leave to offer these three things briefly to your consideration.

For this is all my salvation and all my desire.] i. e. This is the great ground of all my hope concerning my salvation, and of all the happiness and blessedness which I look for in another world. This everlasting Covenant, this sure Covenant, is the great Charter of Charters that I have to shew for eternal bliss. David was drawing neer to his eternal home, and whether his graces and gracious evidences for heavens happiness were bright and shining, or blotted and clouded, I shall not at this time stand to enquire; it is enough that he stayes his soul upon the Covenant of grace, and that he comforts and solaces his soul in the Covenant of grace. And, O that all Christians, when their graces and gracious evidences are either clouded or blotted, or else sparkling and shining, that they would frequently eye these three royal Forts, viz. 1. The free-grace and favour of God. 2. The Mediatory righteousness of Christ. 3. The Covenant of grace. Now, that I may the more effectually prevail with you to look upon these royal Forts, and to delight in these royal Forts, and to prize these royal Forts, and to improve ⟨p. 374⟩these royal Forts. Give me leave to offer these three things briefly to your consideration.