Robert Riccaltoun (1691-1769) was the Church of Scotland minister at Hobkirk, Roxburghshire. His Sober Enquiry is a masterful review and adjudication of the issues debated in the Marrow Controversy. "Riccaltoun attempted to mediate, though making it clear that the Marrow Brethren had the better argument and faulting [Principal James] Hadow for widening breaches rather than seeking peace." (The Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology) Riccaltoun corrects misrepresentations among opponents, examines the real import of the Marrow of Modern Divinity's unfamiliar phrases, and points to the common ground held by all true sons of the Church of Scotland. Though the Sober Enquiry has never been reprinted, the book contains an exceptionally able treatment of the role of the mediator in the covenant of grace, and the instrumentality of faith.

From Robert Riccaltoun, A Sober Enquiry Into the Grounds of the Present Differences in the Church of Scotland, 1723, chapter IV: "Of the Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the Covenant of Grace between God and Man by the Mediator."

Hitherto we have considered the covenant of grace, as it was managed and carried on, between God and the mediator, representing the elect and standing in their room and stead; where we have seen how life and salvation, comprehending all that was necessary to their complete deliverance from that thralldom, bondage and misery which sin had brought them under, was purchased and secured for them in his hand, and that in such a manner, as God was well pleased with. We come next to consider this same covenant, as it is managed between the mediator acting in God's name, and representing him; and these elect sinners; whereby this purchased salvation comes to be actually applied, and the covenant blessings, thus lodged in the surety's hand, conveyed and made over to them.

This is one of these subjects, which, in themselves plain and easy, have been, by the learned labors of such as have employed themselves therein, made very intricate. And while every one molds it according to his own fancy, and the hypothesis he has taken to serve by it; it is become so overgrown with controversies, and these so embarrassed with quirks and subtleties, that it is no wonder, if a great many of these concerned in it are at a loss how to conceive of it: It is none of my design to entangle the reader in these learned mazes any further, than is just necessary to set the present questions in a proper light; the fittest method for accomplishing this, will, I think, be plainly and simply to present in one view what God has revealed unto us in his word, concerning the nature and method of this conveyance, as he has laid it to our hands, without any of that artificial coloring, and mixture of human learning and scholastic notions, which serve rather to amuse and mislead an inadvertent reader, than to any other good purpose, when interspersed with things so inconceivably above the reach of human understanding and reason.

That it is the mediator's business then, and a part of his office, to convey life and salvation unto his people, as well as to purchase it for them, will, I think, be easily granted by all. As God's honor would not permit him to deal with man without a mediator, to answer his demands first, and satisfy his justice by fulfilling the law; so, if one considers man's degenerate state, it will be found, that he neither can nor will have any dealings with God. His weakness is such, that he cannot look upon God immediately, and without certain destruction; and such is his wickedness, that it is impossible he will hearken to bare proposals of peace, unless the same are seconded with a suitable power to secure a compliance with them; in one word, the man must be saved from sin, its power and dominion must be broken, and his nature healed, before he can either discern spiritual things, or comply with this new way of having life conveyed unto him.

Accordingly, we find our good and gracious God, in the provision he has made in this covenant, hath shown a due regard unto man's low circumstances, by designing the same mediator, the man Christ Jesus, to deal with them in his name, and powerfully to dispense and give forth the same blessings unto them, which he has upon his purchase put into his hand; and for his purpose hath set him forth unto us, not only revealing this covenant, and the terms upon which life and salvation are to be had; but also making the same effectual, by subduing a peculiar people unto himself in the ministration of the gospel. And both these we have fully held forth unto us in that other view which we have given us of the death and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a testator disponing [assigning] unto his people all the benefits of his purchase, and ratifying his testament with his own blood.(1)

As I think it will not be questioned, that this testament, as it is held forth unto us in the gospel, is the same thing with the covenant of grace in this later consideration; we need only a distinct view of this, with what has been already said, to give us a complete draught of the covenant of grace. And in the account we have given us of this affair, we find distinctly held forth unto us, the benefits or good things there disponed [assigned], the testator's power to dispone, a narrative of the causes inducing him to this, together with the original and progress of this whole affair, the disposition or conveyance itself with its order and means, and last of all a declaration of the result, effects and final issue of this same testament, both with respect to man in general, and the legatees in particular.

We shall not need to spend much time upon the first of these, having already seen what he has purchased at God's hand, and that they are the very same things which are here disponed [assigned] and made over unto the same persons, for whom the purchase was made. All that fullness which was lodged in his hand, and which it pleased the father should dwell in him, eternal life, with all that is necessary for interesting one in, and preparing and making him meet for the privileges and enjoyments belonging unto it; the Holy Spirit with all his graces and operations, with all the communications which he makes of Christ's fullness, are there comprehended and taken in; and in one word all the fullness of an all-sufficient Savior, which is no less than the fullness of the Godhead; an all-sufficient God, with all that is necessary for maintaining and keeping up communion and fellowship with him, are made sure in this covenant, and conveyed in this testamentary disposition.

And from hence one may easily see, how our Lord Jesus Christ must be clothed with full power to dispone [assign] and convey these same good things unto whom he pleases. Three things are necessary unto this; that the testator have a good right unto the things disponed; that he have them actually in his hand, and at his disposal, and that he have power to convey them unto such and such persons. I need not stand any further to clear his right and title, nor actual possession of them. And whatever incapacities were formerly upon the persons legatees, which might have made it unlawful to make any dispositions or conveyances of eternal life in their favors; now, that the demands of the law are all answered by their surety, they are also made capable of inheriting; and our Lord, having bought their freedom, may enrich them with what possessions he pleases to bestow. But this is not all, that he has a bare power to dispose of these things as his own, since all these things were given into his hand, not for himself, but with this very view, to be communicated and made over unto these same persons by God himself, the original proprietor and owner; and this testamentary conveyance is brought in only to subserve the more general design of a covenant between him and them; which, as things stood, could not be any otherwise completed and brought to take effect. And thus the testator himself bears the person of a trustee, and stands bound by a commandment from the Father faithfully to dispense and give forth these things, as they were designed and appointed in his eternal counsel. So that our Lord comes in this his testament, clothed not only with his mediatorial power, but with all the authority of God; and what dispositions he there makes, are really the promises of God himself, given forth by the mediator in his name, and in such a way as to secure the honor of his glorious perfections.

All this we have very fully opened in what we may call the narrative of this testament, by which I understand these accounts which we have given us of the rise and progress of this whole affair, together with the causes or motives which induced him to make this conveyance. And there we find the whole of this put upon the infinite mercy and lovingkindness of God, and the whole of it represented as a dispensation of grace from one end to the other, without anything in man, or any expectations from him to engage him unto it; "Not for your sakes, be it known to you," we find engraven upon every part of this dispensation. One must transcribe a great part of the Bible, if he would give a just account of the particulars belonging to this head, as it comprehends and takes in all the declarations, which God has made of his own merciful and gracious nature, of man's unworthiness and heinous provocations, the thoughts and purposes of love, which notwithstanding he has entertained toward them, the glorious provision he has made for them in a mediator, and the purpose he has of conveying and making over all these things unto them in and by him, together with what has been already done this way; and here it is, that the covenant of grace, as it is laid in Christ, comes to be manifested and made known unto us. These, it must be owned, are very comfortable views, and serve exceedingly to mitigate that despair which otherways must have overwhelmed the breakers of the law; but whether this revelation, had it been left here, would have served for a sufficient foundation for faith, I shall not take upon me to say, though it is certain, that, as things now stand, these are among the greatest and strongest encouragements one has to believing; and which many times serve to support a soul, which has nothing else to look to.

But that which principally deserves our notice here, and which is the main thing in this testament, and the only proper instrument of conveyance, is the disposition itself, wherein the testator, by that absolute power and authority with which he is invested, dispones [assigns], and makes over his property unto the persons therein specified; and this we find done in the promises, and offers of the gospel. I need not stand to observe, how variously these are expressed, while the disposition runs sometimes in the mediator's, sometimes absolutely in God's name; sometimes in words de praesenti, expressing a present gift and immediate conveyance of these things; sometimes again in the future, as what shall sometime or other be done; the reason of which one may easily gather from what has been said. But there is another difference of expression observable here, which has occasioned some very hot debates, that, viz. sometimes this conveyance is expressed absolutely, as what God will do, without any regard to the persons to whom they are given, or anything done, or to be done by them; sometimes apparently, at least, by way of condition, where the bestowing of the promised good things seems to be suspended upon some previous qualifications or duties to be done first, before they can expect the performance of the promise. Whence, it hath been much controverted from which of these the covenant should take its designation, and whether it shall be reckoned absolute or conditional.

I do not design here to interest myself on either side of this question, as I find it managed among judicious and orthodox divines, where, I believe, the difference will be found rather to consist in different apprehensions of the sense and meaning of some words, than any real difference in the things themselves, though in the meantime it must be owned, that both assertions have been lamentably abused and misimproven to the perverting of the gospel; but especially by a set of men, who have the conditionality of the covenant in such a manner, as to leave no discernible difference between it and a law, conveying life upon terms of duty; while some others have set up for the absoluteness of it in such a manner, as would seem to exclude all use of means, encourage idleness, and make God deal with rational creatures, as with so many stocks and stones. But these abuses the all-wise God has so fully guarded against, and withal sufficiently provided for his own faithfulness and credit in his promises, that, if we consider them, as he has laid them in his word, all these inconveniences may be easily avoided.

We have already observed the rise and original of all these promises, that they are owing altogether unto the goodness and mercy of God, without being in the least influenced by anything, either done or to be done by man. This is, without all question, to be carried along through every part of this covenant, and especially this which we are now upon, and which must be so designed, as to give evidence to the truth of these general declarations; and to confirm and establish the faithfulness of their author, by conveying the blessings of the covenant in the same way of free grace. Accordingly we find these same promises and offers conceived in the strongest terms that can be contrived, for satisfying all unto whom they are given, that he will not allow any man the least umbrage for boasting in himself, or anything done by him; that he will have the whole owing entirely unto God; and accordingly takes the beginning, carrying on and perfecting of man's salvation entirely upon himself, without allowing the creature any the least interest therein.

And, as all the covenant blessings are thus designed to be conveyed, in a way of free grace; so are they held forth, and offered as already purchased, and bought up for all unto whom they are actually given. Nor is there anything in the promises, which is not already in Christ's hands; and which is therefore already given by God to them, though it is not as yet come to their hands, but continues still in the surety's. And, as hence it appears, with as much evidence as anything can do, that there is no more necessary to give anyone an actual interest in them, than to have communion and fellowship with him; they can never be suspended upon any other conditions in the promises, whereby they are conveyed. On the contrary, everyone is bound to look upon all the good things in the covenant, as purchased and bought with the blood of Christ, and that in such a perfect manner, as, that justice itself has nothing to object, why they may not be, at any time, bestowed upon the persons they were designed for.

Notes
(1) Westminster Confession, chapter VII, paragraph iv.

Go to the next installment:
The Covenant of Grace: Part II