Third, He was to accomplish this everlasting righteousness by spilling his most precious blood, according to the terms of the covenant, or bargain; and therefore when God would shew his people what the agreement was that he and the Saviour had made, even before the covenant was accomplished and sealed actually. See for this Zechariah 9 (where he is speaking of him that should be the Saviour,) verse 11, 'As for thee also [meaning the Saviour] by the blood of thy covenant,' or as some render it, whose covenant is by blood (which is all to one purpose) 'I [meaning God] have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.' The meaning is this: As for thee also, seeing the covenant, or bargain that was made between me and thee before the world was, is accomplished in my account, as if it were actually and really done, with all the conditions that were agreed upon by me and thee; I have therefore, according to that agreement that was on my part, sent forth the prisoners, and those that were under the curse of my law, out of the pit wherein there is no water; seeing thou also hast completely fulfilled in my account whatsoever was on thy part to be done, according to our agreement. And thus is that place to be understood in John 17:9, 'I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me' (which I covenanted with thee for) 'thine they were and thou gavest them me,' (but on such and such conditions as are before-mentioned (Zech 9)). And again, 'According as he hath chosen us in him, [that is, in Christ,] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love' (Eph 1:4). Now, seeing this was thus concluded upon by those that did wish well to the souls and bodies of poor sinners, after the world was made by them, and after they had said, 'let us make man in our image, after our likeness' (Gen 1:26). And after man, whom God had made upright, had by transgression fallen from that state into which God at first placed him, and thrown himself into a miserable condition by his transgression, then God brings out of his love that which he and his Son had concluded upon, and begins now to make forth that to the world, which he had purposed in himself before the world began (Eph 1:4,9; 2 Tim 1:9).
1. Now the first discovery that was made to a lost creature of the love of God, was made to fallen Adam (Gen 3:15). Where it is said, 'I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed'; which is the Saviour (Gal 4:4), 'It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.' This was the first discovery of the love of God to lost man: This was the gospel which was preached to Adam in his generation; in these words was held forth to them in that generation, that which should be farther accomplished in after generations.
2. Another discovery of the love of God in the gospel, was held forth to Noah, in that he would have him to prepare an ark to save himself withal; which ark did type out the Lord that was to come, and be the Saviour of those whom he before had covenanted for with God the Father. 'And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me;—make thee an ark of gopher wood' (Gen 6:13,14, 7:1). 'The Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.'
3. God breaks out with a farther discovery of himself in love to that generation in which Abraham lived, Where he saith, 'And in thee, [that is, from thee shall Christ come through, in whom] shall all families of the earth be blessed' (Gen 12:3). This was also a farther manifestation of the good will of God to poor lost sinners; and through this discovery of the gospel, did Abraham see that which made him rejoice (John 8:56).
4. When the time was come that Moses was to be a prophet to the people of his generation, then God did more gloriously yet break forth with one type after another, as the blood of bulls, and lambs, and goats: Also sacrifices of divers manners, and of several things, which held forth that Saviour more clearly which God had in his own purpose and decree determined to be sent; for these things (the types) were a shadow of that which was to come, which was the substance (Heb 9:9,10, 10:1,5-7). Now when these things were thus done, when God had thus signified to the world, what he intended to do in after times, presently all that had faith to believe that God would be as good as his word, began to look for, and to expect that the Lord should accomplish and bring to pass what he had promised, what his hand and counsel had before determined to be done.
(1.) Now Abraham begins to look for what God had promised and signified; namely, that he would send a Saviour into the world in his appointed time, which thing being promised, Abraham embraces, being persuaded of the certainty of it; as in Hebrews 11:13. And this did fill his heart with joy and gladness, as I said before; for 'he saw it, and was glad' (John 8:56).
(2.) Jacob also, while he was blessing his sons, concerning things to come, breaks forth with these words, 'I have waited for thy salvation' (Gen 49:18). He was also put in expectation of salvation to come by this Saviour.
(3.) David was in earnest expectation of this, which was held forth by types and shadows in the law; for as yet the Saviour was not come, which made him cry out with a longing after it, 'O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion' (Psa 53:6). And again, 'O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion!' (Psa 14:7). The thing that David waited for, was not in his time come, though before his time it was promised; which makes him cry out, O that it were come, that it were come out of Sion! Where, by the way, take notice, that the true salvation and Saviour of Israel was to come out of Sion, that is, out of the church of God, touching the flesh, as it is written; A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me (Deut 18:15,18). And again, 'I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people' (Psa 89:19; Rom 9:5). 'Whoso are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.' Christ, as concerning the flesh, did come of the fathers.
(4.) Isaiah did prophesy of this, that God would thus save his people; yea, he breaks forth with these words, 'But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation' (Isa 45:17). He also tells them how it shall be accomplished in that 53d chapter. Yea, he had such a glorious taste of the reality of it, that he speaks as though it had been actually done.
(5.) In the days of Jeremiah, this that God had promised to the fathers, was not yet accomplished; in chapter 23:5 he saith, 'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will [mark, it was not yet done] but I will [saith God] raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper.—In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name wherewith he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'