Covenant.

184. The Covenant with Adam, embraced his pofterity: PART II, on Adam's part, was in no fenfe a condition of that But an effential part of the grant on God's part; therefore, that covenant cannot properly be denominated a covenant of works; but a covenant of life. But if Adam's keeping the moral law was a work, the Saints and Angels in heaven, will be kept inceffantly at work, to all etermity for they will no doubt be perfect in love to God and creatures and act accordingly.

It may now be inquired, Whom did this covenant embrace? Was it only Adam ? He only was perfonally active, in confenting to, or accepting of it. How muft we fuppofe Adam underftood this mat ter? Could he understand that this covenant God made with him,refpected only himself perfonally? In the exercife of common fenfe, he could not think fo; for, with the lealt reflection, he must know, that he could never make any use of the thousandeth part, of what God granted to him, in this cov. enant. Befide God had commanded him, to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and fubdue it. Adam muft unavoidably understand, that all this abundance, which God granted him, was for that produ&t which he should multiply into, as well as himfelf; and that the grant and cov. enant, which God made to, and with him, effentially and equally respected and embraced them with himself. For although there was then, no human creature in real exiflence, befides Adam; yet it was eafy for God to give him a real vifion, and dif. covery of his progeny; as eafy as it was to give Abraham to fee Chrifl's day; or the Apostle Joha to see the dead small and great, ftanding before God, and being judged, Rev. XX. 12. And no doubt God did give Adam a difcovery of his progeny, fufficient to make it intelligible to him, what

PART III.

All mankind fell in Adam.

185

God faid to him, about multiplying, and replenishing the earth; and Adam in viewing or apprehending, all this multitude of his progeny, did not confider himself as diffected from, or unconnected with them, any more than the head, in a healthful body, and regular exercife of mind, conceives itself, as unconnected with the other members of the body: But Adam no doubt, felt himself as connected, and one with the whole. However Adam apprehended, or understood the matter; it is evident that God meant, and has always practifed on that plan; as confidering and treating, all Adam's pofterity, as being effentially contained in that covenant, which he then made with Adam; and as coming into existence, in the fame predicament or condition, Adam was, when God had paffed fentence upon him for his apoftacy. And it appears that the infpired writers, have abundantly underflood, and expreffed it fo. Of the many places in Scripture, exhibiting this Idea of the matter; there is one very literal, Rom. v. 12. By one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin; and fo death paffed on all men, for that all have finned. So alfo 15th verfe, Through the offence of one many are dead. 19th verfe, By one man's difobedience many. were made finners. The places in Scripture, exhibiting the fame Idea, are too numerous to be all adduced. The Scriptures are abundant, in representing the matter, that all mankind are involv. ed in that tranfgreflion of Adam, wherein he violated the covenant God made with him; and it is a. truth conftantly forcing itself on our fenfes, that we are involved in the demerits of that violation of covenant; which therefore is evidence, that we: were all included in that covenant,

Q2

186

Adam a Figure of Chrift.

PART II Thus the covenant with Adam has been confid-ered, as to its nature and extent; though it was a covenant of life; yet he violated it, and it nowTM breaths nothing but death, thou shalt furely die. Yet Adam in the manner of that covenant, being covenant head, and what he did being reckoned to his feed; was therein an eminent Figure of him that was to come; Even of Jefus Chrift the fecond Adam, the Lord from heaven. But fome are dif pofed to find fault with this way of confidering the matter; that we were all contained in Adam, and his act relative to the covenant reckoned to us; yet this made way by a glorious analogy, to introduce a new covenant head to this fyftem, when Adam failed. Man being originally created collectively in a body or fyftem, with a head, his very nature, was thereby fitted for the introducing a new head, when the firft failed; but the Angels were not thus fitted for the introduction of a Saviour, and there is none provided for fallen Angels. It is not impossible, but their fin might be fuch, that inthe nature of the fin, it was not fitting it thould be pardoned but however that was, their nature or conftitution, does not appear to be fitted for that congruity of introducing a Saviour, that man's does. So that we have no reason to complain, of our being all created in one head, and all to be reckoned in him as covenant head; fince this nude way by congruity for refloration by a fecond head, when the firft had lapfed.

Here then we are led to confider the fécond! covenant head, God provided for mankind, which makes a fecond most important and all concerning difpenfation toward mankind.

PART III. Cout. of Redepn. between the perfons of the Deity, 187 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. confidered.

THE perfons of the Deity are reprefented, as having agreed on a plan of Salvation or Redemption of fallen man, before the foundation of the world, in which the Son was to be covenant head, to redeem finners, from the curfe, and condemnation of the divine law. This is clearly revealed, in feveral places of Scripture. As in Eph. i. 3, 4.

Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath bleffed us with all fpiritual bleffings in heavenly things in Chrift; According as he hath chofen us in him before the foundation of the world." Verfe 7," In whom we have redemption through his blood; the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace."

9..

So alfo 2 Tim. i. "Who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given us in Chrift Jefus before the world began."

There are other places of Scripture to the famepurpose. But thofe which have been adduced, fully reprefent the perfons of the Deity, as covenanting for man's redemption: And that thofe who are faved, are chofen in Chrift, as their covenant head. This is not improperly called the covenant of REDEMPTION: And this is an important truth to be understood and believed in. But as this covenant is fimply among the perfons of the Deity, there is no Sacramental feal belonging to it, which comes within our apprehenfron; yet it is properly exhibited to our fenfes, by the incarnation, fufferings and refurrection of Christ.

This covenant as it refpects man, or in relation to him, is properly a covenant of GRACE; and in

188

The Covenant of Grace.

PART III. in direct contraft with the covenant made with Adam, which was a covenant of LIFE, as above confidered. They agree, in being both made in a covenant head. But they are in contrast, as Adam had life, and all the good things pertaining to it, in poffeffion and confirmed by covenant. But in this covenant of GRACE, it is Life, and the good things pertaining to it, in reverfion confirmed: by promife; received and made ours, by faith; fo that faith is confidered as the condition of this cov enant of grace; not as a work meritorious; or fomething for fomething, as are all conditions of covenants, between man and man. No more was the condition of the covenant with Adam, any. thing which he was to do as a fomething for fomething; the condition in the covenant with Adam, confifted very much in faith, fo long as he fully be.. lieved what God had commanded him; we cannot fuppofe that he would have eaten; it would have been fuch dating prefumption; but he by fome: means, was detached from the full and proper apprehension, of the reality and certainty of the divine word; fo that it is moft likely his fin origin ated in unbelief, and it is probable that all fin is more or lefs grounded in unbelief. The truth is Neither Adam, nor any other creature, ever did, or ever can, do any thing meritorious, or as a fomething for fomething, for any thing they receive of God; yet there is an important difference between what was conferred in the covenant with Adam; and what is conferred in the covenant through Chrift. That to Adam, was a mere expreffion of divine goodness, and bounty in beflowing, where, though there was no merit or deferving; yet nothing of demerit, or ill deferving; but this by Chrift, is an expreffion of the highest degree of benevo