The covenant of grace or An exposition upon Luke 1. 73.74.75. By George Downame Doctour of Divinity, and Bishop of Dery

CHAP. II. The text resolved into his parts, the first whereof are the parties betweene whom this Covenant was made. (Book 2)

* 1.1NOw I come to the Text it selfe: the con∣tents whereof as you see, is an Oath where∣in wee are to consider both the parties be∣tweene whom it was made, and also the te∣nour of the Oath it selfe. The parties, aswell him that sweareth, viz. the Lord GOD of Israel; as hee, to whom the oath was made, viz. Abraham our Father. Concerning the tenour, wee are to know, that whereas some oathes are assertory, wherein some truth

is avouched; others promissory, wherein some promise is made: this is of the latter sort, contayning the pro∣mise of a gift. For so hee saith, that he would give us. This gift is twofold: viz. redemption, in those words that wee should be delivered from the hand of our ene∣mies; and the fruite and end of our redemption, which is the true worship of God; in those wordes, that we should worship him, &c. which worship of God is set forth, both by the partes and properties thereof. The parts are two, Holynes, and Righteousnes; For by holynes, wee are to vnderstand the duties of the first Table, which we owe unto God▪ & by Righteous∣nes, the duties of the second Table, which wee owe unto man. The properties are three; The first, respe∣cting our enemies, from whom wee are delivered, in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, without feare of them; the second, respecting God, in the words before him, the third, re∣specting the continuance, all the dayes of our life. The first of these is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or spirituall security; the second, is uprightnes and sinceritie: the third, is constancie or perseverance. Of these in order.

Concerning the partie which did sweare,* 1.2 we are to consider these three things. 1. By whom hee sware. 2. How, or after what manner. 3. To what end. For the first; it is the manner of men in their oathes to sweare by a greater. But the Lord, when he made this Covenant with Abraham, because he could not sweare by a greater, hee sware by himselfe, Heb. 6.13. By my selfe have I sworne, saith the Lord, &c. Genes. 22.16.

Concerning the manner: we may gather by that, which the Lord requireth in our oathes, what hee performed in his owne, Ierem. ••.2. There are three

properties required in an Oath, Truth, Iudgement, and Righteousnes. Truth, opposed to falshood or perjury: Iudgement, to rash and common swearing; Righteous∣nes, to vnjust and vnlawfull Oathes.

For the first: that the Lord did sweare in truth, it is most certaine; because it is impossible, that the Lord in his promise, and in his oath should lye, Heb. 6.18. and therefore wee may be assured of that, wherewith k 1.3 Micah concludeth his prophecy, that the Lord will undoubtedly performe his mercy, which by oath he promised to Abraham. From whence we may learne this most profitable instruction. That seeing the oath of the Lord, whereby hee promiseth to give to all them that are delivered from the hand of their spiri∣tuall enemies (that is to all that are redeemed by CHRIST) grace to worship him in holynes & righ∣teousnes, is infallible, wee should therefore bee care∣full to bring forth these fruites of our redemption; otherwise, wee can have no assurance, that we are the redeemed of the LORD. Yea, on the contrary, it may bee verified of us; that if wee doe live in sinne, and doe not, at the least, desire and endeavour to serve God in the duties of holynes and righteousnes: it is as certaine as the Oath of God is true, that as yet wee have no part in the redemption wrought by CHRIST. And the reason hereof is evident, for to bee a servant of sinne, and to bee redeemed from the bondage of sinne; are things repugnant, and imply a contradiction. For whom Christ the Sonne of God maketh free they are free indeed. Iohn. 8.3••. But hee, that is a servant of sinne, is not freed indeed. Now every one that committeth sinne, as habituated in sinne, that is, in whom sinne raigneth,

hee is the servant both of sinne, Ioh. 8.••4. and of Sathan, 1. Iohn. 3.8.

Secondly, in Iudgement, a man is said to sweare in judgement, when hee sweareth advisedly, upon just and necessary occasion. For oathes are then onely good, when they are necessary. This necessity of the Lords oath ariseth from our weakenes and infidelitie, who will not beleeve the Lord without an oath. And therefore the Lord, in great mercy to relieve our infir∣mitie, hath confirmed his promise, which in it selfe needeth no confirmation, as being truth it selfe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heb. 6.1••. more abundantly then otherwise needed, by an oath, which as it argueth our great cor∣ruption; So it ought to be a remedy for the same. It is great infidelitie, not to beleeve the word and pro∣mise of God; but greater, not to beleeve his oath. In not beleeving his promise, thou makest him a lyar. 1. Iohn. ••.10. in denying credit to his Oath, doest thou make him any better then a perjured person? And yet this is the estate and condition of many professing the name of Christ, God hath sworne, and will not repent, that to those, whom he redeemeth, grace shall be given to worshippe him in holynes and righteousnes. These men do not so much as desire, care or endevour to worshippe God in holynes and righ∣teousnes; but live in sinne, and goe on in sinne, without repentance: and yet for all this, they will needes perswade themselves, that they are the redee∣med of the Lord, contrary to the expresse Oath of God.

Thirdly, in Righteousnes: Men are said to sweare in righteousnes, when that, which they promise by Oath, is lawfull and good. And this goodnes is

measured by the reference which it hath to the glorie of God, and good of man. Neither doth the Lord•• Oath want this propertie. For what could be either more glorious to himselfe, or more profitable unto us; then that which by this Oath is promised? For as touching the glory of God: among all the works, which God ever wrought, there is not any that setteth forth more the glory both of his mercy and of his ju∣stice, then the worke of our redemption with the fruits thereof. For hereby appeareth his mercy to be such, as that rather then he would suffer us most mise∣rable sinners to perish in our sinnes, he gave his owne, and his onely begotten Sonne to die for us. His ju∣stice such, that rather then hee would suffer the sinnes of his owne elect children to goe unpunished, he hath punished them in the death and sufferings of his one∣ly begotten Sonne.

And if you consider our profit, it is evident that (as hereafter you shall heare) in the things promised by this Oath, our happines doth consist. Neither doubt I to affirme, that by the things promised in this oath, our estate becommeth better, then that which wee lost in Adam. Adam, though hee were just, stood righteous before God, but in his owne righteous∣nes; but we being redeemed by CHRIST, stand righ∣teous before God in the righteousnes of CHRIST, which farre surpasseth the righteousnes both of men and Angels. Adam was created good, but changeable, and therefore, being tempted, he fell; but wee, being once redeemed by CHRIST and sanctified by his spi∣rit, shall never fall away; but l 1.4 by the power of God through ••aith wee are kept safe unto salvation. The happines, which Adam enjoyed, was in an earth∣ly

paradise but the happines, which CHRIST hath purchased for us, is in Heaven. Thus much of the manner.

Now are wee to consider the end for which the Lord did sweare: which is plainly and fully set downe Hebr▪ 6.17.18 that he might more abundantly shew unto the heyres of promise, the stablenes of his coun∣sell: that by two immutable things (that is his word, and his Oath) they might have strong consolation. For howsoever they might doubt of their perseverance unto salvation, in regard both of their owne frailtie, and also of the strength of their enemies: yet they know, that the foundation of God abideth sure, 2. Tim. 2.19. and that the word and oath of the Lord is immutable; and that, howsoever heaven and earth shall passe away; yet not one jote, or title of the oath of God shall fall to the ground. And therefore have just cause with David, Psalme 40.2. to professe their confidence, and with Paul Rom. 8.38.39. to rest assu∣red, that nothing shalbe able to separate them from Gods love in CHRIST IESVS our Lord. For the Lord hath sworne, and will not repent, that he will give us, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, to worshippe him without feare, in holines, and righteous∣nes, before him, all the dayes of our life. If therefore the oath of an honest man be, or ought to bee 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the end of controversie, Hebr. 6.16. how much more ought the oath of the Lord to be an end ••nto us of doubting and distrust?

The use, which we are to make of that, which hath beene said, concerning the Lord his taking of an Oath; is that, whereunto wee are so often exhorted in the Scriptures, Be you holy, as I am holy, saith the

Lord▪ that is, in this particular dutie of holynes (for sweating is required in the first Table) wee are to imi∣tate the Lord, both in respect of the action it selfe, and also in regard of the object, the manner, and the end.

As touching the action it selfe, where the Lord is said to have sworne, wee are taught, that to sweare, is in a selfe a thing lawfull and good, though the Ana∣baptists deny it in all Christians, and the Papists in them, who in their conceipt, are perfect; and yet in the Scriptures we see it by the holy Angels, by the blessed Apostle in divers places of his Epistles, in the penning whereof he was free, as from erring, so also from sinning, and lastly by God himselfe, in this, and many other places. Neither is it onely com∣mended as lawfull, and good, as Psalm. 6••.11. but al∣so commanded as necessary, and as a thing which not onely may be done, but also which must be done, Deut. 6.13.10.20. as being a dutie both of holynes to God, and of righteousnes and charitie to man. For being rightly performed, it serveth greatly to set forth the glory of God, by ascribing unto him omniscience and omnipresence, the knowledge of secrets, justice, the patronage of truth, the punishing of falshood. Of charity and righteousnes to men, as being profitable and necessary for the manifestation of a necessary truth, for appeasing controversies among men, for the discharge of our duety, & sometimes for clearing our owne innocencie. And therefore being a duety so ne∣cessary in respect both of God and man; God him∣selfe hath sworne it should be practised in the new Te∣stament, Es. 45.23. But I shall not neede to prove the lawfulnes of swearing in these times, when there are

more that sweare, l 1.5 then that doe feare an Oath. Let us rather consider, how wee are to imitate the Lord in swearing, in respect of the object, the manner, and the end.

First therefore, as the Lord did sweare by the true God onely, that is, himselfe: so wee are to sweare by no other, for what wee sweare by, that wee Deifie; and therefore to sweare by any other, is ••o forsake God Ierem. 5.7.

And as touching the manner, wee are to sweare in truth, in judgement, and in righteousnes, Ierem. 4.2. for not to sweare in truth is perjury; which is forbid∣den, condemned, and punished as a detestable sinne, and as an horrible profanation of the name of God. Lev. 19.12. Ierem. 5.2. Zach. 5.4. wherein besides fals∣hood and lying, which destroy the soule, and exclude out of heaven, Apoc. 22.15. and besides deceipt, (and that under the religion of an Oath,) whereof God is the avenger, 1. Thes. 4.6. Ps. 5.7. there do also concurre two other abominations. The one an horrible indig∣nity offered to the Majestie of God, whereby as if he were a patron of falshood, they call upon him, as a witnesse, to second their untruth. The other in that they tempt God, and date him, as it were, to his face, to execute his vengeance upon them, if they avouch an untruth; when they themselves know, that they sweare falsly.

Secondly, in judgement: for to sweare rashly and commonly in our ordinary talke, is to make com∣mon, that is, to pollute the holy name of GOD; and to turne the Sanctuary of verity, into a common house of vanity. As the Name of GOD is holy and and reverend, so ought it to be used holily, and reve∣rendly;

And as an Oath is not simply good, but upon necessitie; so ought it not to be used, but when it is necessary. For bonum necessarium extra terminos ne∣cessitatis non est bonum. Our Saviour therefore for∣biddeth us to sweare at all in our ordinary talke, Mat. ••.34.37. and S. Iames wisheth us above all things to take heed, that wee sweare not, lest wee fall into con∣demnation, Iam. 5.12. and wholesome to this pur∣pose is the counsell of the Sonne of Syrach, Eccl. 23.9.10.11.12.13.

Thirdly, in Righteousnes: for by oath to promise that, which is unlawfull, besides that it argueth a full purpose, and resolution to doe evill, which is to sinne with a high hand: it doth also offer an horrible in∣dignitie unto God, when a man calleth upon him to be, as it were his suretie for the doing of that evill, which he promiseth.

There remaineth the end: for so wee are to sweare, that by testifying a necessary truth, which cannot by other meanes be manifested; God may be glorified (ac∣cording to that forme of adjuration, Give glory to God, Ios. ••.19.) ou•• brethren satisfied, controversies ended, our dutie discharged, our owne innocencie cleared. Vaine are the Oathes, which are not referred to these, or such like ends; and by them also the holy name of GOD is taken in vaine. So usually doe they sweare, that sweare usually; having no respect, either to the glory of God, the good of their brethren, or discharge of their dutie; but rap out Oathes, some∣times in choler, sometimes in pride and vaine-glorie, sometimes in deceipt, to colour their falshood: some∣times in a vaine conceipt to winne credit to their speeches wherein notwithstanding they are miserably

deceived, for he that sweareth much, sometimes for-sweareth: and he that maketh no conscience of pol∣luting the holy and dreadfull name of GOD by com∣mon swearing; will learne to make no conscience of swearing falsly. So much of the partie that did sweare.

Now we are to speake of the partie to whom this Oath was made: who is here described by his name Abraham, and by his relation to us, Our Father. Abraham was so called by GOD himselfe, Genes. 17. because he made him Ab••hamon, the father of ma∣ny nations, that is to say, of the faithfull in all Na∣tions. Now, whereas I shewed before, that the Lord would not have taken an Oath, unlesse it had beene necessary, in respect of our weakenes and increduli∣tie, who will not beleeve him without an Oath: It appeareth, that Abraham himselfe needed to have the promises of God confirmed to him by Oath: From whence we learne this profitable lesson, that the faith of the best of us hath its imperfections, and is mingled with unbeliefe. For if Abraham, the Father of the faithfull, the most worthy patterne of a lively and a strong faith, had need to have his in∣firmities relieved, as it is plaine that he had: not one∣ly (as in this place) by an Oath, but also Genes. 15. by a signe Genes. 17. by the Sacrament of Circum∣cision, which was unto him a seale of that righteous∣nes which is by faith: and almost in every Chapter of his story, by the often repeating and renewing of the promises unto him:* 1.6 What are we to thinke of our selves, who are by many degrees inferiour to Abra∣ham? Surely we are to beware, both of the proud phantasie of those, who dreame of perfection in this

life; & also of the carelesse practise of others, who thin∣king they have proceeded farre enough, sitt still, not seeking to goe forward in the way of Christianity; and therefore are not likely to come to the end of their way, which is the salvation of their soules. But we, in the humble acknowledgement of our imperfections, must with the Apostles, Luk. 17.5. pray unto the Lord to encrease our faith, and using all good meanes, to proceed from faith to faith, untill we come to a perfect man in CHRIST, we must with the Apostle, as not having attained, Phil. 3.12.13. forget those things which are behinde, and reach forth to those things which are be∣fore, pressing forward towards the marke for the prize of the high calling of God in CHRIST, Phil. 3.14. and if the Apostle, and those who are perfect, that is, adulti, growne men in CHRIST, are to be of this minde, as the Apostle saith in the next verse: much more those, which are not so good proficients, ought to be so min∣ded, remembring that religion is compared to a way, wherein we are still to goe on, untill we come to the end of our way, which will not be before the end of our life.

And whereas Zachary calleth Abraham our father, this is not to be understood, either of all the Iewes, or of the Iewes alone, but of all the faithfull, whether they be Iewes or Gentiles. For Abraham is the father of all the faithfull, Rom. 4.11. and all, which are of the faith, are the children of Abraham, Galat. 3.7. In this sense, Zacheus the Publicane receiving our Saviour by faith, became the sonne of Abraham, Luk. 19.9. As for those, who were of Abrahams seed, according to the flesh, and not according to his faith, they are not accompted the seed of Abraham. For as the Apostle

saith, Rom. 9.6.7. All they are not Israell, which are of Israell, neither are they all children, because they are the seed of Abraham, but in Isaak shall thy seed be called, that is, saith the Apostle, vers. 8. they, which are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are accompted for the seed. So our Savi∣our, Ioh. 8. although he graunt, that the Iewes, to whom he spake, were, according to the flesh, the seed of Abraham vers. 37. Yet he concludeth against them, that they were not Abrahams sons indeed, because they did not the works of Abraham vers. 39.40. This must teach those, who come of faithfull parents, or are no∣bly descended from famous and worthy ancestours, not to rely too much upon their parentage, but to shew themselves to be their childrē by imitating their faith, and their godly conversation. For otherwise, though their parents were the children of God, they may not∣withstanding be the Children of the Devill, as our Sa∣viour telleth the unbelieving Iewes, John. 8.44. And therefore Iohn the Baptist warneth the Iewes, not to stand so much upon this, that they had Abraham to their father; but willeth them to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, Matth. 3.9. If therefore we would be able, with Zachary, to call Abraham Our father, we must follow the faith of Abraham, Gal. 3.7. and imitate his workes, Ioh. 8.39.

Againe, from hence we observe; that, what is spo∣ken in this Oath concerning us that he would give us, that we being delivered, &c. is not to be understood of all men, but of us, who have Abraham to our Father, that is to say, of the faithfull, who onely are the sonnes of Abraham, the heyres of the promise.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Analysis of the Text.
• * 1.2

  The party who did sweare.
• k 1.3

  Micah. 7.20
• l 1.4

  1. Pet. 1.5.
• l 1.5

  Eccles. 9.••.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 4.1••.