All Our Salvation Is In The Covenant
“Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he makes it not to grow.” (2nd Samuel 23:5)
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“I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant.” (Psalm 89:3)
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In this covenant it is provided who shall be saved, who is the Saviour, and the blessings to be enjoyed; with great propriety may it be said, ALL OUR SALVATION IS IN THIS COVENANT. It is secured by it, flows from it, and depends upon it. Then adds David, this is all my desire: and it is no wonder that it should be his desire, when all his salvation was in it; and it is every gracious soul’s desire, to see more clearly his interest in it. David saw his interest in it no doubt; but still he desired to see it more clearly, as every good man does, that he may more strongly take hold on the covenant, as it is expressed in Isaiah 56:4. Take hold on a covenant God, on Christ the mediator of the covenant, and of the blessings and promises of it, and claim them as his. Every good man [the Bible calls Barnabas a “good man”] desires to be led more and more into this covenant, into the nature, fullness, and glory of it. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him, and he will show them His covenant. Those to whom any thing of this covenant has been shown, cannot but be desirous of being shown more of it; and especially their full interest in it. They desire also to have a fresh application of covenant grace, and covenant blessings to them, which God has promised. He says, hear and your souls shall live, and I will make with you an everlasting covenant:
the meaning is, that he would manifest and apply unto them, the blessings of this covenant. It is the desire of every good man, that knows any thing of the covenant of grace, and the scheme of salvation by it, to be saved in this way; by and through the covenant of grace, and NOT of works. It is natural for men, until they are better enlightened, to desire to be saved by a covenant of works; first convictions generally lead this way, as in the three thousand persons: say they, what shall we do?
They talked of nothing but doing: so the apostle Paul, when first enlightened, said, “Lord, what would thou have me to do?”
And the jailor, “what shall I do to be saved?”
And it is natural for every man to think and say, he must do something to be saved. But one that is better enlightened into the covenant of grace and the scheme of salvation, desires to be saved by this covenant of grace, and no other; saved by grace, and not by works. This is all my desire; or, MY DELIGHT AND PLEASURES; so the word here used signifies. And O! the delight a good, a spiritual man, has in the covenant of grace, and in the promises of it particularly, which are exceeding great and most precious; and which BEING OPENED and applied to him, are like apples of gold in pictures of silver: he rejoices in them, when they are brought and applied unto him [when the Spirit of God visits him with salvation], more than one that finds great spoil. This is all his desire, comfort, and solace, in the most trying circumstances. When he BEHOLDS [faith as blessed BEHOLDER, not builder] his interest in this covenant, he can [with Habakkuk and other saints] glory even in tribulation, knowing that tribulation works patience, patience experience, and experience hope. Covenant love is shed abroad in his heart, by the Spirit. Let it be as it will with him, whatever changes [losses] he passes through, this covenant, the blessings and promises of it, are the same [from immutable God]; therefore he is not moved.
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Bill Bryant
Jesus is LORD! 
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