it - "?. m^iPS:^^^^mmf:^m, < ■■Tt / Presented Agnezv Coil. PRI3N by Mr. San on Baptis rCETON, N. J. ladelphia, Pa. j 1 1 luel Agnew of Phi ;;/, No. A ON THC NATURE AND DESIGN OF THE SCKIFTURE COVENANTS. B ¥ FRANCIS ^DEA KIN. '< The first man, Adam, ^as made a livJng soul 3 The last Adam *»as made quickening spirit." 1 Cor. XV. 45, ** We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave liis father aad mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two sliall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." EphES. v. 30, 31, 32. " For, as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ." 1 Cor. xii. 11. " Now, ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1 Cor. xii. 27, SirmutgBam PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY R. WRIGHTSON, AND SOLD BY LONGMAN AND CO. BALDWIN, CRADDOCK AND JOY, AND GALE AND FENNER, LONDON. 1816. PROP£,- PREFACE. ^^^'^^^^^ XF the discovery of truth in the system of nature, be capable of affording pleasure ta a cultivated mind ; how much more are those divine truths, which the scripture^ unfold to our view, calculated to produce in the mind of a christian, admiration and love. But it is only a small portion of divine truth, that comes within the confines of our knowledge. Circumscribed in our views, by the weakness of our intellectual powers, we can take only a partial survey of it ; and are, in many instances, unable to trace that harmony of its several parts with each other, which doubtless exists ; though but " dimly seen, and faintly understood." Man, either individually or collectively, advances in knowledge by slow degrees.-— Each succeeding age adds, by discussion IV. somewliat to our former stock ; and some- times a spark of truth is emitted from con- tending positions. But many'parts of divine truth are of so abstruse a nature, that it is difficult either to define it, or clearly to comprehend it. Perhaps its divine author has covered it in part with a veil, that our minds might be occupied in active endea- vours to discover it. Nevertheless, there are those, to whom the discovery of it is no gratification, unless it brings with it imme- diate benefit or relief And there are others whom nature has not fitted to enjoy re- searches into difficult and abstruse subjects. —Neither of these characters will;* I con- ceive, read the following pages with any pleasure. But if they contribute, in any degree, towards tlie illustration of script ui'e truths ; the end for which they were pub- lished, will be answered. I am far from presuming that I have a perfect knowledge of all the particular sub- jects treated of; or that all the positions stated as truths, are capable of demonstra- tion. At present, they appear to me to be txuths; but I will not say, that I shall tiever, in any respect, be led by amicable discussion to think otheiwise. Were we, however, to discard every posi- tion as false, that can neither be supported by demonstration J nor proved by the express testimony of scripturej the boundaries of divine truth, as fixed by our appreliension pf it, would b^ confined within a very narrow cojupass. If inferences drawn, and f}onsequences proved, were not admitted as just argument, we should not, in many, in- stances, be able either to maintain truth or to detect error. It is by tracing positions to their just consequences, and by examining their various bearings, that we sometimes discover the fallacy of erroneous statements. It was for my own satisiaction, that I first endeavoured to obtain a comprehensive yet compressed view of tlie general system of. truth; and however difficult of attainment this may be, every one must admit, that the .system of divine truth is an harmonious whole, and the discovery of it, an object- worthy of our pursuit ; though we cannot'- expect to behold it Aere in all it^ transcend- ant beauties^ VI. Ill pursuing the object I aimed at, I hate been oft times vmder tlie necessity of supplying the absence of positive proof, by having recourse to what appeared to me as just inference, and legitimate consequences. — I have been, in some cases, constrained by the silence of scripture, to support truth by inference, and to detect error by its con- sequences : and there may be some positions, which will admit of no stronger proof, than that of a coincidence with the general sys- tem of truth, as an harmonious whole. — If I have in some cases erred, let it be re- membered, tliat to ert is human ; and some allowance should b^ made in those difficult cases, where others have erred before me.— • To have laid down a few general proposi- tions, without tracing them up to their just consequences, or connecting them with other relative parts of divine truth, would not have been difficult, nor have so far exposed me to the shafts of various opponents. — • But such a mode would have been ill calcu- lated to convince ; and, at least in my opi- nion, a defective mode of advocating the cause of truth. For, if the just inferences til, which might be drawn from such proposi- tions, be not drawn by the author of them,- and the reader be left to draw his own infer- ences, in many instances, those inferences^ *o drawn, will be false, and truth will be either partially or totally rejected, where, otherwise, it might have been cordially re- ceived. If I am charged with tautology, as doubtless I shall, I acknowledge it, and have only this to plead in extenuation ; that wherever a subject is repeated, it will gene- rally be found to stand in a new connexion ; and that the repetition was necessary for the illustration of some other pal t of the subject. But, however wrong I may have judged in this respect, if I have chosen to lay myself open to a charge of tautology, rather than that the truth, in anv instance, should be obscured by being imperfectly stated, no one, I presume, will censure the motive from which I have acted, though they may impeach my judgment. Also, I have observed, not only that different minds are differently affected by the saipe tilths, but that those truths are more or less rea- Vlll. dily received by different persons, according ?is they are, or are not, presented in a form suited to each one\s peculiar taste and habit of thinking. Hence the utility of present-* ing* truth in various points of view. ^^ Determined to keep nothing in view but the manifestation of what I conceived to be divine truth, I have, in the prosecution of this design, remained steady to my purpose. -^— My object has been, exclusively, the manifestation of the truth ; and in aiming at this, I have laid aside every inferior coh- f>ideration, disregarded every embellishment, and have chosen rather to use repetitions; than to leave my meaning in any part of the work, particularly in the two first chap- ters, ambiguous or obscure. And I appre- hend I may safely venture to assert, that whenever we attempt to speak on those divine subjects, which have no parallel in earthly things, there is so far a deficiency in language, as renders a circuitous mode of expression necessary to a clear manifestation of the sense, which, were it otherwise, might be expressed with more precision in fewer words. : IX. I have been concerned tliat the work should be consistent with itself, that there should be nothing discordant in it ; nor any thing contrary to sound doctrine. And if the work be not palpably censurable in these respects, I am not much concerned about its reputation in any other respect. I have been willing to sacrifice every en- deavour to obtain applause ; though I would not affectedly pretend to despise the good opinion of good men. I am not conscious of having had any thing in view in pub- lishing these thoughts, which I should blush to own. Neither do I hesitate to say, that M hat I have done in this respect, I have done unto the Lord, and not unto man. — I can, therefore, the more confidently com- mit this my sincere though feeble endeavour to benefit my fellow christians, to the all- wise disposal of him, whose blessing alone can make it profitable to any of them. If I have not herein shown myself approved unto him, whose approbation is the only reward I covet, I have then, indeed, la- boured in vain. But if he approve, I have my reward, and no man may take it from me. At this late period of time, and after so many valuable books have been written on the subject, it may be deemed presumption in me, to attempt an elucidation of the sub- ject. But, were it necessary, some reasons might be assigned to show that the attempt is not altogether inexcusable. For, it may be safely asserted, that, — ** Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see, " Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be." A near approach towards the summit of knowledge, either in natural or spiritual things, can never be gained but by per- severing assiduity. Situated as we are, near the foot of the mount, we must ascend it step by step ; and every advanced step forms a standing, from whence a farther progress may be made. If, therefore, we can by any means advance but one step in knowledge, or smooth the rugged path that leads to its summit, somewhat will be thereby gained that will facilitate our progress. XI, Eut if a book, professedly doctrinal, con- trilut^s nothing towards our advancement In knowledge. If it, in no instance or degree, assists our mental vision, by detect- ing error or defining truth. If no subject be presented in a clearer light than that in which it is already viewed by the generality of christians, let it be laid aside as useless. — To write such a book, without at least pre- suming to have done thus much, would be only an exhibition of the writer's folly. — But if, in the smallest measure, this be done, let no one say it is totally useless. For such is , the invaluable nature of divine truth, that the smallest portion thereof is Avorthy of our pursuit. To know and to love the truth, is to know him who is the true God and eter- nal life. In the following pages I have attempted to do what I have not yet seen done to my satisfaction ; that is, to shew how free grace and inflexible justice unite in the salvation of sinners. I have aimed at subverting the unscriptural notion of justification previous to faith, by shewing, that Christ was cmi- Xll. stitiited the federal head of persons as he- lievcrs only ; whilst I have maintained this important truth, that God is just in justify- ing every believer. Thus I have endeavour- ed to remove the first foundation stone, on which antinomian sentiments are built, with- out undervaluing the justice of God in the salvation of sinners. But I am not aware how those who are of opinion that Christ was constituted the federal head of the elect as persons, and not as believers, can avoid those conclusions w hich support the doctrine of justification previous to faith. How far I have succeeded in these at- tempts, every reader will judge for himself. All I have to ask, is a candid judgment; and that, however some of the sentiments advanced may clash with pre-conceived opi- nions, and stand opposed to high authori- ties, they may not be condemned as errors, till they have undergone a minute and im- partial investigation, both as it respects the foundation on which they are built, and the relation they have to other parts of divine truth. CONTENTS.,..-, -^><^^"-' CHAP. I. On Union and Imputation. CHAP. II. On Pardon, Justification and Faith. CHAP. HI. On the Covenant of Redemption and the Gift of Eternal Life. CHAP. IV. On the Adamic Covenant. CHAP. V. On the Resurrection of the Body and the Salvation of Infants. CHAP. VT. On Adam and Christ as Federal Heads. CHAP. VII. On the Abrahamic Covenant and the Believer's Rest. CHAP. VII r. On the Mediatorship of Moses and Christ. CHAP. IX. On the Sinai Covenant. CHAP. X. On the Provision made in Christ for the Salvation of Sinners. CHAP. XI. On being Children of Promise, and on the Old Testa- ment Allegories. CHAP. XII, On the partial and complete Fulfilment of the New Covenant Promises, •QTji 4 fir. A Treatise, Sfc. CHAPTER I. OX UNION AND IMPUTATION. Ti HE first man was created in the image of God. He was endued with faculties, ca- pable of contemplating the glorious perfecti- ons of his creator; with desires and affections, which moved uninterruptedly towards him; and with dispositions, which invariably in- clined him to love and obey him. Purity of heart laid the foundation of his felicity, and conscious innocence shone in his coun- tenance. Thus innocent and happy, every power of which he was possessed found sweet employ. He needed not to have the law written on tables of stone, it was written on the tables of his heart. But his happi- ness was of short duration. He was seduced from the path of obedience. Sin with all its train of evils entered. Death followed. — Satan triumphed.— Every thing was now 3 reversed. — Man, with his innocence, loFt his happiness and his hopes. — Sin spread its baneful influence over all his powers, and polluted ever}^ source of enjoyment. — Nature, disrobed of her luxuriant beauties, exchang- ed them for briars and thorns ; and to this day laments in sterility the disobedience of man, for whom she w as so richly attired. — Such was the condition of man, after sin had defaced the image of God in which he was created. He had now forfeited that blissful immortality, which was to have been the reward of his obedience; and utter despair must have possessed his mind, if God had not revealed his beneficent intention of restoringhim to his favour; of which, Adam received early intimation in the promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. In this promise, we have the first intimation of that covenant of re- demption, which was made between the three divine persons; and which had for its object, the redemption and restoration of fallen man: and in which, we find, by the sipostle's testimony, it was provided, that as by one mami disobedience, many were made sinners; so, by the obedience of onCi many were to be made rii^ihteous. Federal union forms a prominent feature in these covenant transactions. This subject is confessedly mysterious; yet 1 apprehend it is not so mysterious, but that v»e may trace ils outlines, and comprehend somewhat of ils nature; though "vve may not be able to remove entirely the veil that covers it.— And as the fact is revealed, the nature of it forms a proper subject of inquiry; in which, we are assisted by the parallel cases of Adam and Christ, as the first and second Adam ; and who were constituted the federal heads of two diiferent seeds. The former, the federal head of his natural descendants; the latter, the federal head of believers, as that spiritual seed which was promised him in the covenant of redemption, and which he was to see as the travail of his soul, and as his reward with which he should be satisfied. The first Adam was a figure of him who was to come; and the circumstances in which Adam and his posterity were placed, and the consequences w hich resulted from tlie'ir union, serve to illustrate and explain the circum- stances in which Christ and believers are placed; and also the consequences which result from their union. By a constituted union through faith, we become members of Christ's mystical body. 1 his, says the apostle, is a great mystery : for by this constituted union, Christ and believers are one mystical body, composed of head and members ; and are as truly one^ in the view of the law, as the head and the several members of a man's body, compose but one body. Hence ^ve read, Cor. xii. 12. '* For as the body is onc^ and hath tnanij mem- bers^ and all the members of thai one bodif^ being inantj^ are one body; so also is Christ,*' Christ and believers are not really, and per- sonally one; but they are constituted legally one, or one in the view of the law. And it is by the possession of faith ^ or in other words; by believing, that we become the characters who are constituted legally one with Christ. Christ was constituted the federal head of all believers as members of his mystical body. Therefore it is through faith or believing, tliat we enter into a state of union to Christ. in treating of this subject, 1 would be understood to mean, that such a constituted union of persons, does not, in reality, com- municate any thing reciprocally; and that the personal actions of one, do not become thereby, in a proper sense, the personal actions of another. ]\ evert heless, such a ^constituted union of persons, makes it a just «nd legal transaction, to impute to each of them the personal actions of the other. The actions of one are made thereby the actions of the other, legally but not personally; or in a legal point of view, but not actually and personally so. in a proper sense; that is, they are not, in a proper spuse, person- nUy the subjects of that which is so imputed to them. — I consider a constituted union of persons, such as that of Adam and his pos^ terity, and that of Christ and believers, to be only a preliminary measure, necessary to make it just and legal for to impute the act Qf the head to the nsembers, and the act of the members to the head. On the subject of imputation, I would be understood to mean, that though the impu- tation of sin, supposes the person to be in the view of the law, a sinner, so that he may he justly treated as such; and that though the imputation of righteousness, supposes the person to be in I he view of the law, righteous, so that he may be justly treated as such ; yet imputation does not, in any sense or in any point of view, comnuinicatfe or impart any thing; and is only a placing to the account of a person that which he was previously the subject of, either in a legal point of view, or actually and personally in a proper sense. Apart from all considera- tion of a constituted union, if an individual commit sin, it may be justly imputed to him, or charged upon him ; but imputing it to him, or charging it upon him, does not make him a sinner; does not communicate any thing ; it makes him neither better nor worse, nor more nor less, than what he pre- viously was. It is plainly discoverable from scripture facts, that when God made a covenant with Adam, he and his posterity wei-e constituted and considered as owe ; and though that con- stituted union did not, in reality or actually and personally, in a proper sense, commu- nicate or impart any thing to his posterity; yet it thereby became, not a sovereign, but a just and legal act, to impute his sin to his posterity, and to place it to their account, so that hj his disobedience, they were made or constituted sinners in a legal point of view ; and so, judgment came upon ail men to con- demnation. In the day thou eat est thereof^ thou shalt surely die. We are not by covenant union to Adatifi, made sinners in the same sense as he made 6 himself a sinner; that is, by actual and per- sonal transgression. Through that union^ we are made or constituted sinners, not actually and personally so in a proper sense, but in a legal point of \iew only. Though infants are, through union to Adam, under the curse of that broken co- venant which threatened death ; yet it is said, they had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression. Before infants can be personally and in a proper sense, criminal, or guilty sinners in themselves, they must sin after the similitude of Adam's trans- gression, which they cannot do, being inca- pable of actual transgression, it is in Adam that all his posterity, both infants and adults, are sinners, with respect to the breach of the Adamic covenant. He w as actually and per- sonally guilty of the crime; and ive, through covenant union to him, are partakers of it in a legal point of view, but not partakers of it actually and personally in a proper sense. It was personally his sin, and legally our's. Adam was a figure of Christ. And as Adam and all his posterity were constituted owe, in a legal point of view ; so Christ and his spiritual seed, or all believers, are con- stituted one mystical body, of which he is the head and they the members ; whereby it became a just and legal act, to impute man's sin to him; and when we become members of his mystical body, by union to him through faith, it becomes thereby a just and legal act, to impute his obedience to us; so that believers may safely rely upon his righteous-^ ness for their justification, as though they had wrought it themselves. Sin could not be imputed to Christ, till he was made sin in the view of the law, through union to believing sinners. But in the first moment that Christ and believing sinners became legally one^ he was made sin in the view of the law, and therefore it was imputed to him; though he was not, in a proper sense, personally the subject of sin. For though, by that constituted union of Christ and be- lievers, sin could be justly and legally im- puted to Christ; and though he might in consequence thereof, be justly treated as though he were personally a sinner; yet neither that union, nor that imputation, communicated personal guilt to Christ. He was not thereby made actually and person- ally a sinner, lie was personally holy, harm- less, undefiled, and, in this sense, separate from sinners ; and died the just for the unjust. Through a constituted union to his sinful members, the law viewed him as made sin ; but not as being actually and personally a sinner. And throusfh the same constituted union, his righteousness may be justly and legall}^ imputed to us, as believers; and we^ thereby, may be justly treated as though we were actually and personally righteous cha- racters; but neither that union, nor that im- putation, makes us actually and personally, in a proper sense, righteous. Through that coni^tituted union to Christ, whereby believers are one with him as mem- bers of his mystical body, the sin which tluy c « have actually and personally committed, is made his in a legal point of view; but not actuall}^ and personally so in a proper sense. And through the same constituted union, the righteousness which Christ actually and |)ersonally v»^rought, is made ours^ in a legal point of view; but not actually and person- ally so in a proper sense. in a proper sense, we remain actually and personally, what sin hath made us, guilty sinners. And in a proper sense, Christ re- mairls actually and personally what he always Was, — holy, harmless, and undeiiled. This constituted union is totally different and distinct from that union of believers with Christ, whereby they derive grace and strength to bring forth fruit unto God; or from any union of spirit or affection. The whole of these transactions are of a judicial nature; and the design of them is, that God might thereby be just in justifying believers, and in exempting them from pun- ishment. It was personally our sin that was imputed to Christ, and legally his; as his lighteousnei^ was personally his^ and is le^ gaily ours. We are guilty in the same sense that we are sinners. If we are in a proper sense, actually and personally, sinners; we are in that same sense guilty. If we are sinners in the view of the law, through union to another, we are guiltj^ in that point of view only.— • And this rule is as applicable to righteous- ness and justification as to sin and guilt. 9 By becoming, through a constituted union and in a legal point of view, one with believers as members of his mystical body, Christ was made or constituted guilty in the view of the law ; though not actually and personally so in a proper sense. And by becoming through the same constituted union, and in a legal point of view, one with Christ as members of his mystical body, we are made or con- stituted righteous in the view of the law, though not actually and personally so in a proper sense. And also, through the same medium we are, by his atonement, delivered from gu'ill in the view of the law; whilst in ourselves we remain guijty sinners. It is the personal actions of Christ which have relation to the law^ that are, in a legal point of view, made ours; and not those actions which have no such relation to the law. For it is in a legal point of view only^ that the actions of one can be considered as the actions of another. 1 have said, that though the law admits believers to plead the righteousness of Christ as theirs, through a constituted union to him; yet that they are not thereby made, actually and personally in a proper sense, righteous characters. This truth may be ex- emplified thus. If an American by birth, were to marry an English woman by birth, neither the marriage union, nor any sub- sequent transaction, could make her person- ally a nalive of America ; but by virtue of marriage union to her husband, she would be viewed and treated as such by the law of 10 America. In the view of the law of America, she would be an American; but personally, she would remain a native of England, When Christ became, through a constitutecl union, one with believers, as members of his mystical body, then^ in consequence of that union, mans sin became legally liis ; and therefore, could be legally imputed to him, or put to his account, as though he had been in a proper sense actually and personally a sinner; and he was treated as though he had so been, by the divine law-giver, in his cha- racter as the judge and moral governor of the world. And under these circumstances, Christ endured the penalty of the law; and thereby opened a way wherein God could, consistently with his character, pardon and accept as many of the fallen race of Adam, as his wisdom and goodness led him to adopt. Christ, in a legal point of view, though not actually and personally in a proper sense, bore our sin and guilt; and by his enduring the full penalty of the law, it was satisfied for the breach of its precepts; and by thus making an atonement for sin, the sin and guilt of every penitent believer, is, in the view of the law, taken away; that atonement being, in the view of the law, the act of that constituted body, of which Christ is the head, and believers the members. Christ was made sin in some sense, or it could not have been imputed to him. For though imputation does not communicate any thing ; yet it supposes the person to be, in some way or in some sense, the subject of that which is imputed to him. n Christ was made sin in the view of tlie law ; but not made sin actually and person- ally in a proper sense. In this latter sense, neither sin nor righteousness can be imputed to any other persons, than those who have actually and personally committed the one, or performed the other. It is not possible for one man's own personal actions to be made, in a proper sense, another man's own personal actions. Is man made a sinner by Adam's trans- gression ? Adam committed tlie sin, and he aionewas actually and personally the subject of it in a proper sense; and we, through a constituted union to him, are partakers of it in a legal point ot view only. Was Christ made sin ? Man was the per- sonal transgressor; and he alone is actually and personally the subject of sin in a proper sense; and Christ, through a constituted union to his sinful members, was made sin in a legal point of view only. Are we made the righteousu'^ss of God in Christ? tie wrought that righteousness, and he alone was actually and personally the subject ot* it in a proper sense; and we, through a constituted union to him as mem- bers of his mystical body, are made righteous in a legal point of view only. Through the medium of that constituted union, God can justify every believing sinner, on the principles oi'jusiue; or be a just God and yet a saviour. God, as the moral go- vernor of the world, is bound by his perfec- tions to punish where sin can be imputed, tl^ and his law condemns; and to justify, were his law cannot condemn. God will not act contrary to his law, either in the final eon-^ demnation of a sinner, or in the justifica- tion of a believer. After Adam was constituted the federal head of his posterity, it was not a sovereign and arbitrary act, to impute his sin to his posterity; but a just and legal act, in con- sequence of that constituted union to him, whereby his sin became theirs in a legal point of view, so that they were made or con- stituted guilty sinners, and as such, came under the curse of the Ad^amic covenant. — In like manner, it is not a sovereign and arbitrary act, to impute the righteous- ness of Christ to believers; but a just and legal act, in consequence of their union to him as members of his mystical body; whereby they are made or constituted righ- teous in the view of the law. — Neither was it a sovereign and arbitrary measure, to im- pute sin to Christ; and to treat him as though he were personally a sinner; but a just and legal one, in consequence of that constituted union to his sinful members, whereby their sin became his, in a legal point of view. — If Christ could, in a sov- ereign and arbitrary way, be viewed and treated as a sinner, or as made sin for us; it would follow, that sinners might in a similar sovereign and arbitrary way, be viewed and treated as righteous characters, and there would then have been no need for Christ to die. For, if guilt could have 13 been voluntarily assumed by Christ, if sin could have been sovereignly imputed to Christ, righteousness might, with equal con- sistency, be sovereignl}^ imputed to man. A man cannot be a righteous character and at the same time a sinner^ in one and the same sense. Neither can a man be a sinner and at the same time a righteous cha- racter, in one and the same sense, if a man be actually and personally righteous^ he cannot be actually and personally a sinner. If he be actually and personally a sinner; he cannot be actually and personally righteous, in different senses, he may be a righteous character and a sinner, at one and the same time. He may be actually and personally a sinner^ whilst, through a con- stituted union to Christ, he is made or con- stituted righteous in the view of the law; and this is the case of all believers. Or he may be actually and personally righteous, whilst, in the view of the law, he is guilty: and this was the case with Christ, through a constituted union to his sinful members. At the judgment day, the divine law- giver, as the supreme judge of all, will treat men as they are in the view of his law ; and cannot pass a false sentence, in the divine government, a regard is always had to justice, in all cast;s of justification or con- demnation ; whether they respect a moral or a positive law. If Christ was not in amj sense made sin, he could not be sovereignly viewed as made sin in any sense; he could not be viewed as u being that which he was not; nor could n of fallen man lo the image and enjoyment of God. As a constituted union between Christ and believers, was a preliminary measure, nt^cessary in order to its being a just and legal act to im})ute sin to Christ, and righte- or.snessto man; so, MaHmputation of sin to C hrist, was only another preliminary mea- sure, necessary in order lo the taking away or makiiig an end of sin, as it resj)ects be- lievers, by the sacrifice of Christ, which is aa ail-suiticient atonement for it. Beliold 17 ihe Lamb of God who taketh awaif the sin of the icorld! But now once^ in the end of the fcoi'ld, hath he appeared^ to pat away .sm bi/ the saci'i/ice of him.ei/, God was in Christ recon- citing the world unto himt>tlf, not imputing their trespasses unto them. The biood of ( hribt was shed for the re- mission of sins, being' that atonement, where- by sm is taken away, and the believer exempteti fro.n punishment. 1 his was sha- dowed forth by the sin-offerings uiider the law, by which there was a real forgiveness obtained, and a typical purification etfected. — For though such offerings could not make those who did the service perfect, as p well as justification ; but God could not consistently with his character, as the righteous governor of the world, forgive sins, or forbear to inflict the penalty of the law upon the sinner, but through tlie medium of an atonement which satisfied the dem?md.^i of the law; for that law would be dishon- oured, and the character ox the law-giver 22 impeacbecl, were he to deal with sinners contrary to the fixed principles of justice, either in their condemnation or justification. God, as the moral governor of the world, will not do violence to his law, either in the condemnation or justification of sinners. — He will not punish where the law does not condemn ; nor forbear to punish where the law does condemn. Were he to do so, in either case, his justice would be impeached. He is both faithful and just in personally pardoning or exempting from punishment the believing sinner. Therefore, sin must be taken away, and guilt removed, in the view of the law, before God can honourably forbear to punish the sinner. God, in the character of a father to his children, and in his dealings with them in this world, passes by their transgressions ; or if he visits for sin, it is the chastising hand of a father, for their profit, that they may be partaikers of his holiness; but in the cha- racter of a judge, and as the moral governor of the world, he can by no means clear the guilt}, nor forbear to punish where his law condemns. God, as the judge of all, will administer distributive justice to every man, whilst he pardons, justifies, and saves sinners. His public character, as a just God, and the moral governor of the world, will be manifested by the impartial administration of distri- butive justice to every man; whilst his mercy will be magnified in the pardon, jus- tification, and salvation of sinners. — And is without admitting of the impartial adminis- tration of distributive justice, his public character, as a just God, and as the moral go- vernor of the universe, can never be fuUj and compleatij vindicated. Tiiougli pardon and justification origi- nate irt the free grace of God; yet they both have respect to the law; and are obtained ina waj approved bv the law. Hence, God is said to be just; that is, to act on the immu- table principles of justice, both in justify- ing believers, and in forgiving their sins. In some cases, God is a sovereign law-giver; but he is always a just judge. llie atonement of Christ was necessary as a medium through which God could ex- ercise distributive justice; whilst he par- doned, or personally exempted from punish- ment, believing sinners. Christ hath put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. The sufierings and death of Christ, was not merely thai, for the sake of which God could pardon the sinner; but that, which of itself took away sin from the believing sinner, in the view of the law; so that he is thereby justly exempted from punishment or personally pardoned. When, through this lesjal medium, a sin- ner is exempted from punishment, then God can act towards him as though he had never personally transgressed the law. And vyhen he is justified, through a similar medium, God can receive him to the full enjoyment of his favour. 04 If it be said, This is not pardon but justice; 1 answer, Tliat personal exemp- tion from punishment, is personal pardon ; through whatever honourable medium it be obtained ; and not the less pardon, because obtained through a legal medium. 1 he thing obtained is pardon or exemption frotn punishment; the medium through which it is obtained, is of justice* Tiiough pardon originates in free, sovereign, unmerited fa- TOur; yet it must be obtained through such a medium, as that neither public nor dis- tributive justice will be violated by the bestowment of it. And God's tender love to his people, induced him graciously to devise means whereby he could, as a just judgo, exempt the objects of his love from puiiisiiment, without violating his justice; and this could not be done but through a legal medium, whereby God could be just in pardoning and in ju§»tifying the believing sinner* Sovereign grace was manifested in devising the plau; Justice in the execution of it. To bless for the sake of another, may be both a proper inducement and a proper me* dium, where the blessing to be communi- cated has no relation to a law. Such "an act is properly an act of tenderness, for the sake of another. But to exempt a transgress sor of the law from suffering its penalty, is an act which a just judge may not perform, merely on a principle of tender compassion for the sake of another. Such a mode of 25 procedure is justifiable in a sovereign; but not in a ri^XiX^'Oas judge ^ who cannot pass a false sentence, nor clear the guilty. When an earthly judge condemns and after- wards pardons, he acis in a tvvo-foid charac- ter. He condemns as ajufioe; and pardoiis as a sovereign. He lays aside his character as a judge; and assumes th. t of a sovereign^ invested with a royal prerogative lo pardon the guilty by superseding the claims of justice, which, though practised in earthly courts of judicature, would be, 1 presume, an inadmissible mode of procedure in the process of the judgment day. And even in earthly courts, the necessity of previously passing a sentence of condemnation, shews that the act of pardoning the guiity, is con- sidered as a violence done to the law It would seem superfluous to speak of God's being just when he justifies a believing sinner, if no regard to justice were needful in that transaction. In all cases of condem- nation and justification, there must be, in a righteous judge, a regard to distributive justice, and the righteous character of the judge will appear, in the impartial adminis- tration of distributive justice, which knows of no other discrimination of persons, than that which is founded on character. In every part of man's solvation, that has no respect to the law as a rule of justice, God acts as a sovereign; and for want of distinguishing between the actions of God as a sovereign, and the actions of God as a righteous judge, and the moral governor of 26 the world; or in other words, for want of distinguishing between the actions of God as a father to his children in this world, and his actions as the supreme judge of all, deciding the fate of all men at the judg- ment day ; much confusion has arisen in our ideas of pardon and justification; and perhaps, on no two theological subjects, has there ever been formed a greater diversity of opinions. If no regard were to be had to distributive justice in exempting a sinner from punish- ment at the judgment day, how is it that the scriptures represent it as necessary, that our sin must be so put away by the atone- ment of Christ, as that it shall not be im- puted to us? Nothing of this kind is neces- sary to the bestovvment of pardon, as the gracious act of a father, passing by the trans- gressions of a child. In such a case as this, it is not necessary that sin should be taken away so as not to be imputed, in order to the obtaining of pardon or exemption from punishment. And thus God, as a father, graciouslv pardons and passes by the trans- gressions of the remnant of his heritage whilst upon earth; unless his wisdom and goodness lead him to chastise them for their jiins, that they may learn obedience to him by the things that they suftier. But at the judg- ment day, when God will assume the sacred character of judge of all, there will then be no passing by transgression as a gracious act ; no false sentence passed; whoever is found guilty will be condemned, and every trans- ^7 gressor w ill be found guilty, unless his guilt be previously taken away, in tlie view of the Jaw, by the atonement of Christ, so that sin cannot be hiiputed to him. How would devils estimate the character of the judge of all, if some, to whom sin couJd be imputed, were punished; whilst others, to whom sin could be equally im- puted, were not punished? It would not satisfy ihem to say, that God had manifested Lis abhorrence of sin and his determination to punish it according to its desert, by the inliiction of sutterings on Christ, and there- fore It was not now inconsistent with justice for him graciously to exempt the objects of his love from punishment, though sin could be justly imputed to them; whilst he pun- ished others, because sin could also bejustl}^ imputed to them. This plea would not be sulficient to justify a judge in clearing those who were guilty in the view of the law; for justice IS impartial, and knows nothing of discriminating grace. The only ground of discrimination in the administration of dis- tributive justice by a righteous judge, is, that in one case sin is justly imputed, whilst in another case, it cannot be so imputed. — - Such a ground of discrimination as this, really exists between believers and unbelievers — Unbelievers die in their sins; but sin cannot ]>€ imputed to believers, their sin being taken away by the atoning blood of Christ, in the view of that law by w hich they are to l>e judged. 28 The i>;race of God appears eminently visi- ble in devising such a plan, whereby he could at the judgment day, justly exempt the ob- jects of his love from condign punishment; particularly in the sovereign gift of faith, through which believers are brought into that state of union to Christ, which lays a foundation for their pardon and justification. it would not seem consistent with the cha- racter of God, us a righteous judge, were he to act, at the judgment day, towards un- believers on the principles of justice, and punish them according to their deeds; and at the same time overlook justice in acting towards believers, and exempt them from punishment as a sovereign. Neither will the mere manifestation of his abhorrence of sin, by the infliction of sufferings on Christ, make it consistent for him to act towards believers, at the judgment day, on a principle of sovereinnti/ in exempting them from punish- ment; whilst he punishes unbelievers on a principle of Justice; and in whose punish- ment his abhorrence of sin is manifested. 1 he whole plan of our salvation originates in free sovereign grace and good will. iXever- theless, our justification is founded on the pure principles of justice ; so that no one can impeach the justice of God as the moral «overnor of the world, when he justifies a believing sinner. Heisjust^ and the juslijier of him that beiieoeth in Jesus, But the law can never admit of our being righteous by mere grace and favour. Righteousness must be obtained through such a legal medium, as 29 makes us truly so in the view of that law which knows nothing of ^race and favour. — We are said to be justifi*^d freelv by his grace, through the redemption that is ia Christ Jesus; that is, our justification, as well as every other part of our salvation, originates in the free, unmerited grace and favour of God ; but, nevertheless, it is through the medium of that redemption which is in Christ Jesus. 1 h rough his obedience, we are made righteous; and through his atonement, justi- fied from transgression. The apostle says, that the righteousness which justifies, is of faith. If righteousness come by our own obedience to tlie law, justification would be of works, and Christ is dead in vain; but it is of faith, which is the sovereign gift of God. And the freeness of justification con- sists in the free and sovereign bestow ment of that gift of faith, which has no relation to the law; and therefore does not come within its cognizance, as justification does, and through whicli gift, we obtain righteousness, and are brought into a state of justification. When a sinner is justified, the law may be supposed to take cognizance of that trans- action ; and can admit of it as valid, only on the ground of his be? ig possessed of a righteousness adequate to its demands. For if he is not, the law could not consent to his being justified, but would put in a plea against it. As God's law cannot treat a man as righte- ous, whom it cannot view as ri<;hteous , nor \i(iw a man as righteous, who is destitute of bo righteousness; God's gracious design to jus- tify sinners, could not have been accom- plished, but by the adoption of a plan, whereby man could be judicially constituted righteous, or made righteous in the view of the law. Righteousness, which is obedience to a precept, being what the law demands, the law must be satisfied, both as to the nature of it, and the possession of it, before a sinner can be justified. A woe is denounced against him that justifies the wicked, or that condemns the just. God will not justify where his law condemns. A sinner cannot be justified whilst a sentence of condemna- tion lies upon him. Before any man can be admitted into the kingdom of heaven, and be made partaker of the eternal inheritance, he must be justi- fied from all positive and negative offences against that law, under which he is made. — He must stand acquitted both of domg that which he was forbidden to do, and of not domg that which he was commanded to do. — The apostle, speaking to the Jews of salva- lion by Jesus Christ, says; " Through this wan is preached unto t/ou^ the forgiveness of sins; and by him, all that believe are justified from all things, Jrom which ye could not be jusifjied by the law of Moses J* There being- some crimes, for which the law of Moses provided no atonement. Believers stand ac- quitted from every charge of transgression against the hiw, by the atonement of Christ, through wliich their sin is taken away in the view of the law. And this is called in SI scripture, a justification by his blood. But we need a positive obedience to the precepts of the law, as a necessary part of our justifi^ cation ; and believers are, through a consti- tuted union to Christ, made or constituted righteous in this respect, in the view of the law. And this is being justified by his right- eousness imputed unto us. Thus, believers have a righteousness as valid, in the view of the law, as though they had in their own per- sons fulfilled the righteousness of the law.—*- A righteousness, not actually and personally in a proper sense their own, but theirs in a legal point of view. It is the righteousness of God by faith. Justification by the blood of Christ, is an acquittal from crimes through his atonement, whereby sin is taken away in the view of the law. Justification by his righ teousness, is being constituted righteous in the view of the law, through a constituted union to Christ, whereby his righteousness, as it was obedience to the precepts of the law, becomes legally ours, and is justly imputed unto us. If holiness, which has respect to the dis- positions of the soul, be lost, it may be restored; but cannot be in any wise trans- ferred from one to another. A holy disposi- tion may be imparted; but it is as irrational to suppose that a man may be made holy by the imputation of another's holiness, as to suppose, that an ideot may be made wise by the imputation of another's wisdom. Righteousness, which is obedience to a precept, and has respect to a given rule or ]aw, is impated to believers in consequence of a constituted union to Christ, ^y hereby they are one in the view of the law ; so that liis righteousness becomes legally theirs. — On this ground they are justified, or pro- nounced righteous; and shall no more come under a sentence of condemnation. Never- theless, viewed in themselves, they are still gudty sinners; and though they cannot fall from a state of justification, they may fall under the fatherly chastisements of their co- venant God; who, as a tender father, chas- tises them for their profit, that they may be partakers of his holiness. He visits their sin with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes, that they may learn obedience by the things which they suffer. As guilty sinners in them- selves, they are required to walk humbly w ith God ; to exercise daily repentance to- wards him; and to seek forgiveness of hiii\ for their daily short comings and transgres- sions against him; that their sins may not be visited with the rod of their heavenly father's displeasure ; nor their iniquities with- the stripes of his anger. If the law necessarily admit of believers pleading the righteousness of Christ for their justification, as being legally theirs, through a constituted union to him; just as they would plead their own righteousness, if they had fulfilled the law ; then, the law must regard them as though they had fulfilled it in their own persons. JNevertheless, this will not warrant them to come to God as righteous characters in themselves; for in them- 33 selves, they are still guilty sinners; and as such^ must come to God by a mediator, rely- ing on his atoning blood tbr their exemption from punishment; and upon his righteous- ness for their justification. And this done, they may, with humble confidence, look for the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, unto eternal life. When a sinner is born of the spirit, and made the subject of faith, he is no longer a child of wrath, but a child of God; he is adopted into the family of God; and is of that spiritual seed promised to Christ, as the fruit of the travail of his soul. In resfenera- ...» 1 • ^ tion, a disposition is wrought in the soul, whereby it is enabled to love God ; and is ])repared to receive the truth in the love of it, as far as it is revealed to the understanding. Christ was constituted the federal head of all believers, and when a sinner believes, Christ becomes, personally, his federal head. — And thus, through faith, sinners enter into a state ot union to Christ as members of his mystical body, whereby the righteous- ness of Christ becomes legally theirs, and is imputed to them for justification. Persons are not constituted one with Christ, simply as persons, but as regenerated, believing persons; and faith or believing, no other- wise justifies, than as it forms the characters who are constituted one with Christ ; where- by his righteousness becomes legally theirs, and is imputed unto them for justiiication. Our Lord's obedience unto death is the medium through which sinners are saved 34 from wrath. And this salvation from wrath is, in the gospel, proposed to sinners for their acceptance through faith in Christ ; and saving faith is that belief of revealed truth which includes a cordial reception of it. It is not enough that we discern the wisdom and goodness of God in the plan of man's redemption; we must rely on the atonement of Christ, as the medium through which alone sinners can be saved from wrath; and we must relinquish our own self-righteousness, and seek righteous- ness by faith, before we can attain to that righteouisness which justifies. S5 CHAPTER III. ON THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION, AND THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE, I T will tend to elucidate the subject pro- posed, if we 2)reviously take a brief view of some other covenants, which, though dis- tinct in their nature and objects, yet have a relation to the covenant of redemption. Adam owed perfect obedience to God as his Creator, yet God engaged, by covenant, to conlirm him and his posterity in that bliss- ful state of immortality, in which he was placed, on condition of his obedience. The Adamic covenant being made with one indi- vidual > as the federal head of his posterity, its rewards were promised directly to him and his posterity, as being legally one ; and it being a covenant of works, its rewards were of debt, both to Adam and his posterity. The Sinai covenant, which was ordained unto life, was also a covenant of works; and its reward was of debt. But it differed from 56 the Adamic covenant, inasmuch as it was not made with an individual as a federal head. — It was made with the Jews ; every one of whom acted for himself; and its language to every individual of them was, " Do this and lice'* It knew nothins: of rewards of grace: nor could it accept of the righteous- ness of faith, as the condition on which it promised life. That condition was, '' Do this and live,** Perfect and personal obedi- ence alone, was its condition on which it promised life. Its reward was not promised to righteousness, abstractedly considered, but to persons fulHIling the righteousness of the law^ by their own obedience to its pre- cepts. And could it have been fulfilled hy any individual Jew, it could have given life only as a reward of debt. This it did to Jesus Christ; the only person that ever fuU filled its condition; and he alone had a just right and title to eternal life. 1 hough eter- nal life is promised to believers, or persons possessing the righteousness of faith, or justi- fied persons through faith, for these are the characters to whom the promise in Christ is made ; yet this is a free, gracious, and uncon- ditional promise, which did not emanate from the Sinai covenant, but was made us in Christ Jesus before the world beiian; and was obtained by Christ's engaging to fulfill the conditions of the covenant of redemption. 1 he Sinai covenant was not made with a federal head, but with the people of Israel; and held forth its rewards to individuals who should personally iidfill its conditions, and S7 to no other. Hence tlie impossibility of its *>iving life to sinful men, it being weak through the flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ was made under the law or Sinai covenant, and was, previous to its establishment, con- stituted the federal head of all believers, so that they are legally one with him, and there- by his righteousness is legally theirs, and by that righteousness they are justified; for the moral law as the rule of obedience, looks only for the possession of a righteous- ness adequate to its demands, in order to justification. But though the possession of a righteousness adequate to the demands of the law, secures our justification, iliatriglile' ousness so obtained, is not the express condi- tion on which the Sinai covenant promised life, lis condition was, our own personal and perfect obedience. 1 herefore the righte- ousness of faith, gives no claim to eternal life, as the reward of the Sinai covenant. — As the making of that covenant was a sov- ereign act, so the terms upon which it was made, as to its condition and reward, de- pended upon the sovereign will of him that made it; and those terms were: Obey in your own persons and you shall live. Hence w^e read: " I'/ie law is not of faiths hut tke man that doeth them shall live by them!^ Ne- vertheless, the inheritance was never intended to come by the law, but by virtue of a fr^e j)romise, which emanated from another co- venant; and this covenant promise was made us ia Christ Jesus before the world began. — 38 Wherefore then servetli the law ? It was added because of transgression; for by the law, is the knowledge of sin. ^rhe covenant promise to Abraham ^vas analogous to the covenant promise made to Christ ; and illustrative of it. 1 he covenant promise to Abraham, w^as: / will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee^ all the land of Canaan for an everlasting- possession^ and I will be their God, In this promise of the earthly Canaan to Abraham*s natural seed or descendants, tliere was a hidden promise of the heavenly Canaan to Abraham's spi- ritual seed. The covenant promise to Christ, was: " He shall see a seed, lohich shall prolong their days;^' and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied,*' The covenant of redemption made with Christ in eternity, w as a covenant of w orks ; in which were promises made to Christ, on condition of his obedience unto death, as a sacrifice and an offering for sin; whereby an atonement was to be made for sinners; so that whosoever believed, might not perish, but have everlasting life. On his engaging to do this, it was promised him, that he sliould see a seed, a chosen generation born of God througli the Spirit, and brought to glory, as the fruit of the travail of his soul, and as his reward. Hence we read: " / have tnade a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David, wy servant, 1 hy seed will * See T^owlh's Transliilion. 89 / estahlish for ever; avd build vp thy throne to all ge7ierations ** And again: " 3Jf/ co- venant shall stand fast with hitn, IJis seed also will I make to endure for ever ; and his throne as the days of heaven J* T liese things were written of him in the Psalms, he was to be extolled and be very high. To have the throne of his father David. Jo be highly exalted at God*s right hand, invested with all power in heaven and on earth ; and to have a name which is abo^e every name,— that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, and every tongue confess — These were some of the rewards promised to Chiist, in the covenant of redemption, on coiiditionof his becoming obedient unto the death of the cross, as a sacriiice for sin. — And we read of God's purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. J he making of a covenant of redemption with Christ, on behalf of fallen man, was a fruit of love and grace, as it had respect to the benefits and blessings that would result to man therefrom. But the covenant in itself, as it was made with Christ, was a covenant of works. He had to fulfil its conditions; and to him belonged tlie promised reward. — And the fulhlment of tlie promises made therein on condition of his obedience unto death, whether those promises were to be fulHUed in the bestowment of rewards to be enjoyed by him in his own person, or lu rewards to be iriherited by that seed which was promised \nm\ it \Tns his reward, as a Ct 40 reward of debt. Hence we Iiear him sayr — *-' Father, I will that those whom thou hast ^iven me beitith me where I am, that they viai/ behold my glory.'* The promise of the eter- nal inheritance to all believers, as that spi- ritual seed which Christ was to see as the fruit of the travail of his soul, was a gra- cious act, as it had respect to tlum ; but as it had respect to Christ, in whom that promise was made, it was to him a reward of debt. — Hence we read: " For this cause he is the me" dialor of the New Testament, that by means of his obedience unto death, as a sacrijice for sin, and the condition of the covenant of redemption , they which are called, might receive the prom- ise of the eternal inheritance^* And this ])romise, and the fulfilment of it to believers, was a part of Christ's own reward, for which he stipulated in the covenant of redemption^ on condition of his obedience unto death — Such was the tenor of the covenant, which provided for rnan^^s redemption. It was ail of works to Clirist; but it had a gracious aspect towards man. Here, the promise of eternal life originated. Here, is the ground of a believer's assurance that he shall have eter- nal life, as the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Hence we read: ^^ In hope of eter- nal life, which God, that cannot lie, prom- ised bifire the world began." Eternal life results to us as a free gift, the fuUilment of a stipulation made witli Christ in the covenant of redemption. And though Christ had a just claim to his reward promised him in the covenant of redemption, one part of which 41 was, that lie should see a seed brought to glory, so that lie could justly claim eternal life tor us as his reward; yet we have no such claim to it ourselves > To us it comes as a free gift through Jesus ( hrist ; and to ^vhich we have no just claim or right and title, in any sense, or on any ground what- ever. Nevertheless, it is as certain to be bestowed upon believers, as God, who cannot deny himself, is true, or faithful to his So!i. In everj^ covenant of works, the reward is of debt, and not of grace. But the scrip- lures uniformly speak of eternal life, as a free gift, promised in Christ Jesus to all be- lievers, as justiiied persons through the righteousness of faith. Hence we read of justification unto life; not as a procuring cause, but by indissoluble connexion ; it bein" that w hich marks or distinguishes the characters, to whom the promise in Christ was made. And we find that the scripture connects eternal life, both with believing, with the righteousness of faith, and with jus- tification, as being three different descriptive marks of the characters, to whom the prom- ise in Christ was made. And every believer may, with infallible certainty, expect eter- nal life, on the ground of God's immutable promise. The language of Christ to his dis- ciples, was: " Fear not, little flock^ it in your fattier s good pleasure to give you the fci?igdcm/' Which was a gracious act, that did not come under the cognizance of the law, as exemption from punishment and justification does. 4Z We are expressly told, than the inheritance conieih to us, not through the law, but by promise; and as a reward, not of d*^bt, but ot' grace. T he righteousnesis of which Christ was the subject, came to him by the law; and eternal iUe wasto him, a reward of debt ; he having* personally fulfilled the condition on which it was promised in the Sinai co- venant. But righteousness for justification comes to us by faith; and eternal life, as a free and gracious gift, promised us in Christ Jesus before the \\orid began, if we come to Cod for eternal {iie, vi e must come, either as claimants on the ground of some just right and title, fouiidcd on the feltiiment of a condition in a covenant of works ; or else, we must come as expectants on the ground of some free and gracious promise. AH claim that falls short of a just right and title found- ed on the fulfilment of a covenant of works, can be nothing more than a well-grounded hope or expectation founded en some free and gracious promise ; and the latter is, by some, improperly called a covenant right and title. But a covenant right and title, can be nothing less than a right founded in justice, on the fulfilment of a condition in a covenant of works. Could the Jews have fulfilled the condition of the Sinai covenant, they would have had a covenant right to its reward. Adam also, if he had fulfilled that covenant of works made with hi in, would have had the same covenant right to the re- ward promised on condition of his obedience. — All which rewards would have been of 43 debt; and it would have been an act of in- justice to have witliheid tlie reward, after the condition was peri'ornied A right and title to eternal life, can be built u]>on no other foundation, tlian the fuliilaient of a condition in a covenant of works, \^hich promised life on that condi- tion ; and in every such case, the reward would be of debt. So that if the rig^hteous- iiess of faith, be our right and title to eter- nal life, it can only be so, as the conditioji in some covenant of works, \^ hich promises life on that condition ; and then, the reward would be of debt, and we might claim it as having a right and title to it; ainl it uould be an act of injustice to withhold it from us. — If it be said, The righteousness of faith, is not a condilioiiovi which eternal life is prom- ised; but it is that to which eternal life is graciously promised ; then the point in dispute is yielded; for if it be freely, graciously, and unconditionally promised, we can have no right and title to it, though we may con- fidenth look for it, on the ground of God's promise in Christ, which he confirmed by an oath, that all believers might have conti- dence in his promise. If the righteousiiess of faith were a condition on which life is promised, it must be a procuring cause; and the revvard would be of debt ; but if it be not a condition on which life is promised; it can lay no foundation ibr aright and title to eternal life ; though it be a descriptive mark of the characters, to wliom the promise in Christ is made. 44 Neither the eternal inlierilanoe, nor the temporal inheritance, which ^vasa type of tUa eternal, came by the law, bat were given by promise. It is free, so- ereii^ii grace, wiiich reigns unto eternal life, tlirough Christ's obedience unto death. 1 he Israelites could not enter into the promised rest, because of iinbeiief. But this barrier did not exist, as it respected Caleb and Joshua, and many others; yet they entered into the promised rest, not as having any riglit or title to it, but by virtue of tlse promise made to Abraiiam; just as believers, or those who ])o:ssessthe rigliteousness of faith, or justified persons, uhicli are all terms descriptive of the characters to whom the promise in Christ is made, enter into the promised rest above, by virtue of the promise made to Christ iu the covenant of redemption. 1 he promise to Christ was, that he should see a seed brou<4^ht to ^k)rv, as the fruit of the travail of his soul, and as his reward. And man, fiince the fail, can expect eternal life, only as a free gift, on the ground of Cod's prom- ise in Christ. Though God is bound by his perfections to fullii his promise; jet that does not give us a right and title to eternal life. God is bound by liis perfections to fulfil his promise in the gift of his Holy Spirit; but we are not thereby warranted to claim that promised gift, as having a right and title to it. The assurance vvliich believers have of receiving the promised inheritance rests on the ability and veracity of him, wh^ has promised to 45 bestow it, ns a free and gracious reward. — Hence the ])roprietY of his counrming tlrat promise by an oath; that by tliese two im- mutable things, wherein it was impossible for God to lie, we miglit have strong, confi- dence or consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set beibre us. — But if a right and title to the inheritance could be established, it would be no more of promise. 1 he obtaining of it by promise, and the obtaining of it by a right and title to it, are two different and distinct mediums, and directly opposed to each otiier. I he gift of eternal life, is either v.n act of grace, or an act of justice, if a man make me a promise, it is the moral duty of tiiat man to fulfil his j)romise ; but the tiling promised, does not thereby become my just riglit. I may fully expect it, on the ground of his faithfulness; but not claim it as my just right. If 1 could claim it as my just right, he would have no need to coniirm his promise by an oath. But if my assurance of the thing promised, rested on his ability and veracity ; then, his concern for my present consolation, might induce him to endeavour to preclude ail doubt from my mind, and to establish my confidence in iiis promise, by confirming it by an oatli. 1 he scripture declares, that if tiie iniierit- ance be of the law, it is no more ot' promise. —But God gave it to Abraham by promise. And the promise to Abraham, that he and Ills spiritual seed shonld b^e iii^irs of the eter- nal world, was not luvAe to iiim or ilieu! as 46 ful fillers of the law in their own persons { but {IS being believers, or justified persons through the righteousness of faith. As it is written: " I he promise thai lie should be heir of the world uas not lo Abraham or to his seed^ through the law, but through the righteousness of faith; J or if they which are of the law, be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise fnade ofnvne-fffect'* 1 herefore the promise of the eternal inheritance, is through the righteous- iie^is of i'aith, that it might be by grace, to the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed ; /lOt to that only which is of the law or among the Jews; but to that also which is among the Gentiles, which is of the iaiih of Abraham, or believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 he righteousness of faith, is not a condition on wiiich the promise of the inheritance was made ; but it marks or de- scribes the characters to whom that promise ^^as made, and therefore, the promise of the inheritance is said to be through the rigiiieousness of faith. So that thej which be of faith, are, together with Aljraham, blessed with all spiritual and heavenly bles- sings in Christ Jesus; and become joint lieiis or partakers of eternai glory with htm^ in whom ail the promises are yea and amen. — For if the promise made to Christ in the covenant of reciemptioii had been, that eternal life should be given to ful fillers of the law, faith would have been void, or of no use; and the promise itself of no etfect. — ft could neNcr have be< n bestowed on any, because none could fulfil tlie law. or susl;'.in 47 the characters to whom the promise, in that case, would liave been made. 'J hereto re, that promise was made to persons sustaining- the character (»t' believers, or justified persons through the righteousness of faith. And faith being God's gift, sovereignly bestowed on the objects of his choice, the whole is of grace or free favour, in opposition to works and rewards of debt; and, thereby, the in- heritance became sure and certain to all that spiritual seed of Abraham, whom Christ was to see as the travail of his soul. And all the chosen vessels of mercy, who lived pre- vious to the death of Christ, v«ere afore pre- pared unto glory, received the gift of eternal life, and inherited the promises, on the ground of the infallible certainty which there was, that Christ would, in the fulness of the ap- pointed time, fuliil the condition upon which those promises were made. The communication of these blessings was the result of stipulations in the covenant of redemption; which covenant was made with Christ personally and individually. Ihc express condition of that covenant was, that Christ should make an atonement for sin, by his obedience unto death. As it is written: *' When tfiou slmlt make his soul a?i offcrimy for sin^ he shall see a seed, which shall prolong' their days; and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, lie shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied,^' He did not fuliil that condition, as being /Acr/ which we were bound to do by that covenant — 'J he covenant of redemption did not demand II 48 ibe death of the sinner. It was the law that demanded the death of the sinner; and Christ, according to his engagement in the covenant of redemption, bore the curse of the law; as being that which we were exposed to by the sentence of that law. 1 hus Christ by cove- nant engagement with his father, bound him- self to make an atonement for sin by his^ obedience unto death ; that through it, God might honourably pardon, justify, and sanc- tify all believers ; and also fulfil his promise to him^ in bestowing eternal life upon tlum. It was astipulation in the covenant of re- demption, that Christ should be constituted the federal head of a spiritual seed, in order to their justification and exemption from punishment. Notwithstanding the prom- ises made to Christ in that covenant, were not made to him and his seed in him, as a federal head, but to him individually. — Though one of those promises to him, was, that eternal life should be given to all be- lievers ; hence it is called God's promise in Christ ; yet those promises were so difierent in their nature, as to be inapplicable to the condition of both. 1 he leading promise to him could not be made to him and liis seed in him ; for it was a promise that he should see a seed raised up to be to his praise and his glory here, and to be with him for ever — \t was also promised hnn, that he should have the throne of his father David; and that all power in heaven and in earth should be in his handhi. The nature of which proaiise, and of many others made to him, are totally 49 inapplicable to our state and circumstances; and belong exclusively to him. And there were other promises made to him, of blessings to be bestowed upon his seed. Such as the foUovvino : ^' His seed will I make to endure for every The promise made to him, that he should see a seed, as the fruit of the travail of his soul, could not be inherited by him and his seed, in the same point of view. — The promise to give to him a seed, could not be made to that seed. The promise, as it was to be fulfilled to hiw^ was, that he should see a seed brought to glory. 'J he promise, as it was to be inherited by them^ w as, that they should be brought to glory. — The promise is fulfilled to h'lm^ in his seeing a seed brought to glory ; and inherited hy ihem^ in their enjoyment of that blessing. — Thus, the promise is fulfilled to liiniy and in them. The promises in the covenant of redemp- tion, were to be fulfilled to Christ, and in- herited by his seed, according as they were applicable to each, as separate and distinct subjects. So, the promise made to Abraham, which was analogous to the promise made to Christ, and a figure of it, was not made to him and his seed in him^ as a federal head; but to him and to his seed after hhn^ as sepa- rate and distinct subjects. As it is written: " And I will give unto tliee^ and to thy seed after thee^ the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan^ for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God,'* And God said : " ^arah thy wife shall bear thee 50 a son indeed, and thou sJuilt call Ins name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant wifh him, for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. Behold/ I set the land before yon, which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give 2inio them, and to their seed after them. And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. For the promise that he should be heir of the world to come, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of Jail h,'* The promise made to Christ, that he should see a seed brought to glory, involved in it this certain consequence, that a seed should be raised up and brought to glory; but the promise was not made direclly to that seed, but to him. Jt is God's promise in Christ. — And they are brought to glory, as the fulfil- iiient ot the promise made directly to him. — It is fulfilled i?i them, rather than to them. This will appear more clear, if we consider the nature of the |)roniise made to Christ, with relation to his enemies ; who cannot be said to be in him, in any sense. '' I he Lord said unto my lord, sit thou at my right hand, vntil I make thine enemies thyfooistojd!' And this promise also involved in it, this certain consequence, that his enemies should be put under his feet; but this promise was not made to his enemies, but to him. 1 hey are put under his feet, as the fulfilment of the promise made to him; and it is fullilled in them rather than to them. The reward prom- ised to Christ in the covenant of redemption, 51 included in it, high privileges to himself; blessings lo be bestowed upon his seed; and punish iiients to be inflicted upon his enemies. — And these privileges to himself; blessings to his seed; and punishments on his enemies; were stipuhited lor by Christ in the covenant of redemption as his own reward, tlie fruit of the travail of his soul ; and were to be enjoved bj the one; and sustainecl by the other, as separate and distinct subjects; and not as joint j^arties in the covenajit. If the covenant of redemption niade witli Christ, which was a covenant of works, were made with Christ and his seed in him, as a federal iiead, the stipulated reward j)romised on condition of his obedience unto death, would belong equally to himself and his seed; and be it what it may, it would come to them as it does to him, as a reward of debt. Just as the reward promised to Adam and his seed in him, on condition of his obe- dience, would have been of debt, both to him and his seed. But the scriptures uni- formly declare, that eternal life is bestowed upon man, not as a reward of debt, but as a reward of grace, the free gift of God through Jesus Christ, As Adam, who was a figure of Christ, sustained both a public and a private cha- racter; and as a private character, had to obey the moral law as the law of nature, independently of his having in his public character, as a federal head, to fulfil the con- ditions of the covenant; and as other cove- nants, besides timt wherein he acted as y fe- 52 deral head, might have been made with him^ in nhich he might have ha J a part to act, though it might not have been as a federal head: so, the Lord Jesus Christ sustained both a public and a private character. And in his private character he entered into those covenant engagements with his father, which had for their object the redemption of man ; and which were distinct from, though con- nected with, those actions which he performed in his public character as a federal head. — • And ( hrist, in his private and individual cJipacity, now enjovs those rewards wliich were promised him in the covenant of re- demption ; and which, in some respects, arc separate and of a distinct nature from all the rewards which are enjoyed by him and his spiritual seed, as joint heirs. Hence we hear him say when on earth: '•' Father^ glo- rify thou me, with the glory which 1 had with thee before the world was.'* And which gforj he, no doubt, now possesses. CHAPTER IV, ON TflE ADAMIC COVENANT, J HE moral law, as it is the law of nature, enjoining obedience to God as our ( reator, is binding upon all intelligent creatures. — And if there had not been a covenant made with Adam, he would still have been subject to the moral law, as tlie law of nature ; which had not in it the nature of a covenant; and its being made the basis of the Adamic, and also of the Sinai covenant, was accidental to it, as it was the law of nature and a transcript of God*s will. As Adam was under the moral law, as the law of nature, previous to its being made a component part of the basis of the Adamic covenant; so, the Jews were under the moral law, as the law of nature, previous to its being made a component part of the basis of the Sinai covenant. And tiie abolition of that covenant, did not deliver them from the obligation of obedieiice to the moral law, as the law of nature, \ lie prohibition or cominaad not to eat of the fruit o: the treeot knowledge, alho form^ d a component part of the basis oJ the Adaiiiic 54 covenant; but did not form a component ])art of the moral law, as the law of nature — - JVevertheJess as every personal act of disobe- dience towards God, is a breach of that law which commands universal obedience to God as our Creator, Adam, by eating the forbidden fruit, broke the moral law, as it was the eter- nal rule of his obedience to God, as his Creator, and also as it formed a component part of the basis of the Adamic covenant. — And the sentiments of his mind, previous to his taking the fruit, constituted the most flagrant part of his sin. In the previous determination of his mind to take the for- bidden fruit, we may discover the conception of sin, the alienation of his affections from God, and the renunciation of his allegiance to God. So that if God had, in the moment that Adam put forth his hand to take the fruit, withheld it from his grasp, or deprived him of the power to take it, still sin was already conceived in his mind, and he was already fallen; although he had not as yet taken the fruit. His taking of the fruit, was not only an out\^ ard act of disobedience towards God ; but also expressive of the inward disposition of his mine*, which was a presumptuous dis- regard of the wisdom, the goodness, and the auihority of God. i iius, by this act, Adam broke the moral law, both as a law and a co- venant. Adam sustained both a public and a private character. He stood both in a public and in a private capacity hi his private capacity, he had to obey the moral law as the law of 55 nature. In his public capacity, or as a federal head, he had to fultil the conditions of the covenant ; in his doing of which, all his posterity were interested ; and it was his breach of that covenant, which was imputed to his posterity. And other covenants, be- sides that in which he acted as a federal head, might have been made with him, wherein he might have had a part to act, though it might not have been as a federal head. Adam from the first moment of his existence, was under the moral law, as the law of nature; and subsequently making a covenant with him on certain conditions, and constituting him the federal head of his posterity, with relation to that covenant, did not at all affect or interfere with his obligation to obey, in his private and individual capacity, the moral law, as the law of nature, i hough by his disobedience to God in the first trans- gression, he broke the moral law, both as it was the law of nature, and as it was a co- venant; yet that transgression was imputable to his posterity, only as it was a breach of the covenant ; and, therefore, they were sub- jected by that imputation, only to the penalty of that covenant. Neither Adam nor his posterity w ere, by his breach of the covenant, subjected to any thing more than the penalty annexed to the breach of that covenant, which was temporal death, and also the loss of those divine influences, on wh^ch the existence of his spiritual life depeilded. Adam, at his creation, was indued with an holy principle of spiritual life. He was I 56 made in the image of God. That innate holy principle of spiritual life at first imparted, was preserved in Adam by the constant com- munication of divine influences. This com- munication of divine influences, was a pri- vilege which Adam enjoyed on condition of his obedience. The existence of that spiritual life depended on that communication of support and influence. But though Adam w as the subject of spiritual life, supported by divine influence, he was not the subject of infallibility, nor thereby necessitated to make a right choice. He was left to the free deter- mination of his own mind in every act of volition ; and had liberty to act either under the direction of that holy and spiritual prin- ciple, or otherwise, as his mind, influenced by motives, might ultimately determine. Adam, at his creation, was possessed of an innate holy principle of spiritual life, in addition to those faculties and powers which were essential to his nature, as a natural man and a moral agent ; and whereby those natural faculties and powers were influenced to move in a right direction. Though that holy principle of spiritual life, w as not essen- tial to Adam's nature as a natural man and a moral agent, it was essential to his nature as a holy being in the image of God. But that holy principle of spiritual life was not irresistable in its operations. It was not a necessitating influence; lor if it had, there would have been nothing probationary in Adam's state; he would not have been in a state of trial, nor liable to fall. It seems 57 repugnant to our ideas of divine procedure, for God to enter into covenant enoagements with Adam, on a condition which it was na- turally impossible for him to break; as much so, as it would be for him to have entered into covenant engagements with him, on a condition which neither his natural nor any supernatural powers then bestowed upon him, would enable him to fulfil. If the holy prin- ciple of spiritual life possessed by Adam in his primeval state of innocence, had been irresistable in its operations, Adam could not have fallen; fact, therefore, proves that it was not so, though supported by divine in- fluence. For though the existence of that spiritual life, depended upon that commu- nication of divine influence ; yet, the ex- ercise of that principle of spiritual life, was subject to the direction of the mind, influ- enced by motives. It would tend to elucidate the subject, if we could trace the movements of Adam's mind, immediately previous to his actual defection. The will is uniformly determined by the strongest motive, by that which most powerfully excites or influences the mind in its choice or volition. That object will have the most power to determine the will, which appears most suitable or engaging to the mind at the moment of volition; or which appears to be the greatest good, or most pleasing to the mind, all immediate and remote circumstances considered. The cir- cumstances attending an object presented to the mind, may aftect the power of that object 58 to determine the will. Qjctwo objects, equally agreeable in themselves, and also in every other circumstance, except that the one is present and the other future, that which is present, will have the most power to determine the will, because there is nothing either in the nature or circumstances of the future good, to counterbalance the delay of the pleasure, which its being future occasions — Hence, we may suppose a frequent competi- tion between the different motives or induce- ments which operate on the mind in its voli- tions. Sometimes a present inferior good or evil, will vie with a future superior good or evil. In such cases, the mind is already decided as to the comparative excellence of the two objects, as they are in themselves.— in this respect, there is not, there cannot be, any competition. The competition will be in this. Whether a present inferior good or evil, shall obtain an ascendancy of power to determine the will, over that of a future su- perior good or evil. Or, in other words, the supposed competition will be in this. — Whe- ther a present inferior good or evil, shall appear to the mind more desirable, than a future superior good or evil. In all such cases, the will is determined by that which, viewed in connexion with all its circum- stances, appears to the mind as the greatest comparative good, or most desirable. The mind is not, in such a case, directed in its choice by the comparative excellency of the different objects as they are in themselves; but bv its view of them, in connexion with 5© all their attendant. .^circumstances. When the mind has formed an estimate of these two objects, connected with all their circum- stances as rival competitors and candidates for its choice; it then decides, whether it will choose the present good or evil in prefer- ence to the future ; or the future in preference to the present ; and its choice will be, accord- ing as the present good or evil, all things considered, appears preferable to the future good or evil ; or the future preferable to the present. The desire and pursuit of happiness, is common to all intelligent beings; and they would never choose that which is not con- ducive to their happiness, if that choice were not made under the influence of a wrong judgment, and a false estimate of the value of the object, as conducive to their happiness. — Happiness that is either wholly or partially future, loses somewhat of its comparative degree of influence on the mind by being future. And the disadvantage which things future sustain as it respects their compara- tive degree of power to determine the will, is often most evident, when the dread of future evil which we never experienced, has to con- tend for the ascendancy of power to deter- mine the will, with the enjoyment of a pre- sent apparent good. A distant good, enjoyed only in the prospect of it by anticipation; or even a present good already possessed, may not, in our estimation, be so conducive to our happiness, as the immediate enjoyment ©f an apparent good, which is exhibited to 60 «ur view: and \vlnch creates in the niind an anxious desire to possess it. The dictates ot reason are sometimes rival competitors with ihe influence of appetite, for the choice of the mind; and it not unfrequently happens, that the fascinating influence of natural appetite fostered by self-love, prevails above the dictates of reason, and determines the will. It is natural to suppose, that amidst conflicting desires, the influence of the pre- vailing motive may depend much on the state and circumstances of the mind at the mement of volition. At the moment of Adam's defec- tion, doubtless he had an idea that the ob- taining of the present good, whatever it might be, was necessary to his happiness; and, as an object of desire, possessed more power to determine his will, than the fear of losing the good he enjoyed. Perhaps, in his view, there was some apparent uncertainty as to the extent of the consequence of trans- gression, or some fallacious hope of avoiding it in whole or in part. Perhaps, he might have an idea, that he might be happy without that good which he then enjoyed ; or that he should be happier in the enjoyment of that apparent good which determined his will, than in the enjoyment of that good which he should lose by transgression. And when self- love gained the ascendancy in his heart; — when love to God ceased to be the ruling principle of action, and became subordinate instead of being supreme; that moment de- fection and disobedience ensued. In what* ever degree, all or any of these reflection* 61 pervaded Adam's mind, when he forsook the path of rectitude, it is certain that in so doing, he formed a false estimate, and made a fatal choice. How he came to do so, has been to this time, and perhaps ever will be, a subject of serious inquiry. The holy character of God required, that man should be so consti- tuted as to be able and disposed to will obe- dience. And his probationary state required, that he should be capable of willing the con- trary. A finite creature can never possess the unlimited perfection of Deity; therefore must, of necessity, be negatively imperfect. — And negative imperfection in a creature, can have no other cause than necessity.— Every being, that is not absolutely perfect as Deity itself is perfect, must be at least ne- gatively imperfect. And as absolute perfec- tion of nature is the exclusive and incom* municable property of Deity, it follows, that every creature, however exalted, must fall short of absolute perfection of nature, or, in other words, be negatively imperfect. So that negative imperfection of nature, is not an eifect of divine purpose or power, but is that defect^ which of necessity attaches to all created being, however comparatively perfect it may be. It has not God for its author, but results from absolute necessity alone ;^ and is the ultimate and radical source of moral evil. It is not that which has a positive existence ; but it is the absence of something that has a positive existence ; and cannot have any efficient cause whatever; therefore God cannot be the author of it. m It cannot be doubted, that moral evil ulti- mately results from a negative imperfection of nature in the creature as a free agent.— Voluntary choice is essential to accountabi- lity. The immediate cause of moral evil in its first entrance into this world, was the ex- ercise of free will. The ultimate source, was negative imperfection of nature in the crea- ture; or in other words, the want of absolute perfection of nature. Adam, in the exercise of his free will, made a wrong choice. But the choice of the will, is only an act of the mind; and is uniformly governed by the estimate which the mind forms of the object presented, therefore, Adam's wrong choice must have resulted from his having formed a false estimate of the different objects which presented themselves as competitors for the choice of the will. Here, in ascertaining the true origin of moral evil, we have gone beyond the choice of the will. We have, iu tracing moral evil up to its ultimate source, ascended higher than the exercise of free will as an act of the mind. We are come to that which governs and determines the will in its choice; and that is, the estimate which the mind forms of the objects pre- sented to it. The question therefore will be, not how the will came to make a wrong choice, but how the mind came to form a false estimate of the different objects pre- sented to it ; and the only reply that can be made is, it arose from the negative im- perfection of nature in the creature. And thus, we come to the boundary oi cur re- 63 searches on tliis subject; and to the true, ultimate, and radical source of moral evil. 7'he ultimate source of moral evil, is not to be traced to the appointment of God; for he cannot decree the existence of that which he iiates, as being contrary to his nature and perfections. It is not to be found in the exercise of man's free will; for that is only a succeeding- act of the mind, go- verned and determined by the estimate which tlie mind forms of the objects pre- sented to it. But the ulnmate, radical source of moral evil, is to be found, as we have already seen, in the negative imper- fection of nature in the creature; or in other words, in the want of absolute perfec- tion; the result of which was, that Adam was capable of forming-, and actually did form, a false estimate of the objects which presented themselves to his choice; and by forming a false estimate, whereby the wifl was influenced to make a wrong choice, de- fection ensued. The possession of spiritual life, though supported by divine and sovereign influence, did not, couid not preclude the possibility of defection in Adam. Being the subject of u negative imperfection of nature, and pof- sessing freedom of will, he was capable of forming a false estimate of the things which concerned his happiness, and of making a wrong choice, though possessed of spiritual life, supported, as it was, by diviue and sovereign influence. And the lormalion of a false estimate, operating to the directioa af K 64 a wrong- choice, could liave no otlior iiltimnte aud ori*iinal source, than a negative imper- teetion of nature ; or in other words, the want of absolute perfection of nature, as a negative source of defection, tverv crea- ture, however exalted his station, or conipa- ratively perfect his nature may be, is neces- sarily mutable ; the subject of a negative imperfection of nature; therefore, it maybe presumed, liable to defection. Immutabi- lity is an incommunicable property of Deity. — It does not, however, appear certain, that every degree of negative imperfection of nature must, unless it be prevented by the interposition of sovereign supernatural aid, f/€ce;s.^ariit/ terminate in actual defection. — >»egrative imperfection of nature may be greater or les»s, as the subjects of it possess a less or greater degree of comparative perfec- tion; or possess a nature which approaches more or less near to the standard of absolute perfection. J hey may also be placed in dif- ferent situations, and under ditiierent circum- stances, so that defection may be either pos- sible, probable, or the necessary consequence of such a state, according to the degree of comparative perfection possessed, and the cir- cumstances in which they may be placed. — But whilst ditterent degrees of comparative perfection originate in the sovereign will of God; neg:ative imperfection necessarily at- taches to every such degree of comparative perfection ; and is the result, not of sovereign power, nor of any decree, but. of necessity sdone* 6.5 ft seems to he extendi njj our researches beyond the bounclariesof our kno^vledtrf. to sup])f)sf;. th?it if nej^ative imperfection were to attach to the actions of the most exalted ot' intelliirent creatures, those actions coald not [)e free from every species of moral evil. Or. that every intellii^ent creature must be so preserved by sovereign supernatural power, as to be free from every specieri and degree of imperfect action, in order to be clear of moral e\il. it appears, that negative imper- fection may attach to the actions, as it mu^t to the nature of tfie most exalted of intellitrent creatures, without involving them in moral guilt; for, He chargeth his angels with folly . In cases of great comparative perfection of nature, defection may ensue as the natural consequence of a negative imperfection of nature ; and yet not as a necessary con- iequence, it may be possible — It may be proV)able — It maybe foreseen by Omniscience as actually proceeding therefrom. — It may actually take place; and yet not follow us a necessary consequence. It needed only to be foreseen as future, to form a proper ground of previous provision. Not foreseen as future, by virtue of divine appointment; nor yet as a neces.sanj consequence of a negative imper- fection of nature; but foreseen as actually ])roceeding from a negative imperfection of nature in the creature as its radical and ul- timate source; and from the exercise of free will as its immediate cause. foreknowledge is a beholding of future events arising from various causes ; and which 66 causes Lave not, in every instance, a necessart/ conne-\ion with the existence of those events. — And though the existence of those future events which immediately arise from the ex- ercise of free agency^ is infallibly certain if foreseen by Omniscience as future ; yet that infallible certainty, founded only on lore- knowledge, does not imply, in every instance, a necessary connexion between the causes of those events, and the existence of them ab- stractedly considered. An event, arising from the exercise of free agency, may be infallibly certain, being foreseen by Omnisci- ence as future, without being the necessary consequence of an adequate cause. De- fection in Adam, or the fall of man, was foreseen of God; not as an effect of divine purpose, but as the result of that negative imperfection of nature in man, of which God was in no sense the author ; and whicli had its origin in necessity alone. Thus it appears, that foreknowledge in God is not, in all cases, the same with divine appoint- ment; for in this case, God foreknew or fore- saw that which he neither appointed nor produced; but which proceeded from a source of which he was not the author; and which had no other origin than necessity. foreknowledge, as far as it exists in crea- tures, requires a ground of certainty founded on a neci-ssary connexion between cause and effect. But foreknowledge in God, requires no other ground of certainty, than that which his Omniscience aflbrds. It was cer- tainly foreknown by him, that Judas would ^7 betray Christ; which event, could have no other ground of certainty than the omnisci- ence of God. The fall of man was certainly foreknown, and therefore infallibly certain , though it did not arise from a necessary con- nexion between the cause of it and the event. — It arose from the exercise of free will ia connexion with a negative imperfection of nature, as an adequate cause of defection; but not as a necessitating cause, Adam was not under any such influence as necessarily determined him to the commission of evil. — Nor can any one say, that created nature may not exist in such an exalted state of comparative perfection, and with such a steadfast determination to good, as is au adequate cause of standing, though not adequate to preclude thepossibility of tailing; and the operations of that adequate cause, may be foreseen of God, as all-sufficient to prevent defection, though not sufficient to preclude the possibility of it. Farther, as things possible can never become future or come to pass, without being- foreseen of God, or Avithout his permission; and snpposinjjj possible defection not to have passed out of tba order of things possible, into the order of things future; it could not be foreseen as future; or a.s that which would come to pass; therefore there would, in such a case, be no need for the interposition of sovereign supernatural power to prevent defection.—^ And thus, the same thing may be possible with respect to the existence of an adequate cause; and impossible with respect to the 68 omniscience of God beliolding it as that which would never come to pass. And\vho can say, that created nature may not exist in such an exalted state of comparative per- fection, as even to preclude the existence of an adequate cause of defection; and thereby preclude the possibility of it; though that created nature be necessarily the subject of a negative imperfection of nature, in some degree. Adam, by his free choice, influenced only by motives, sinned; and thereby the cove- nant made with him was broken, and its reward forfeited. 7'iius, Adam failed of per- forming that condition, on which those divine influences, necessarj^ to the existence of his spiritual life, were to be continued. 1 here- fore they were withheld; and that spiritual life became extinct. That innate, holy principle of spiritual life, with which Adam was endued at his creation, ceased to exist in his soul. It was now destitute thereof; and nothing remained to Adam, but what was essential to his nature, as a natural man and a moral agent. Supreme love to God, once the ruling principle of action in Adam, was now compleatly superseded by a prin- ciple of exclusive self-love, operative in a supreme regard to private interest. Self-love, operating in a supreme regard to private interest, took the reins of government ; and from this latent source all moral evil now proceeds. Adam was now destitute of a principle of spiritual life ; or in other words, was spiritually dead to God and godliness. 69 He was now no more that holy spiritual being, which he was at his creation. In this state, he be^at a son in his own likeness. — • That is, destitute of a principle of spritual life; or in other words, spiritually dead to God. And as a penal consequence of Adam's sin, his posterity come into the world desti- tute of that principle of spiritual life, which was communicated to Adam at his creation; and which they would have enjoyed as a covenant right if Adam had fulfilled the condition of the covenant made with him. — They would then have had a covenant right, both to natural and spiritual life. — 1 he posterity of Adam come into existence, possessed of natural faculties, but destitute of a principle of spiritual life. Nevertheless, the withholding of spiritual life, does not introduce />05z/u'£ corruption into those natu- ral faculties. The withholding of a princi- ple of spiritual life, does not corrupt the natural faculties; but those natural faculties, acting alone and without restraint from a superior and spiritual principle, become po- sitively corrupt ; and lead man, infallibly, to the commission of sinful actions. The positive corruption of man's nature, does not consist in the nature of those faculties which he possesses as a natural man and a moral agent; but in tlie undue exercise and improper direction of them. The cessa- tion of spiritual life, and the consequent uncontrouied supremacy of natural principles in man, is sutlicient to account for the uni- versal corruption of man's nature, without 70 supposing man to be born with an inherent princijile which is in its own nature positively evil. A principle of self-love, or to love mjself and created things, is not evil in itself; butthejexcess or undue exercise of it, is a founra^^?W evil, from whence ail the moral evil in the world has issued. And the excess or undue exercise of this principle of love to ourselves and created things, arises from its acting alone and without restraint from the higher principle of spiritual and divine love. Self-love, becoming supreme in the absence of superior principles, and of course the sole governing principle in man, every thing that thwarts or opposes it, is counted as an adversary; and hence arises, hatred to God or our fellow creatures, wheti they stand in the way of its gratification. Ihe principle of spiritual life in man be- coming extinct, it could never have been restovfd, had not the three divine persons in the Trinity, entered into a covenant of re- demption, and devised means, whereby God could, consistently with his holy character, give his holy spirit to man. And by the regenerating intluences of the holy spirit, that principle of spiritual life is imparted to all the elect, when they are born of th^ spirit. And the preservation and support of that spiritual life so imparted, is now, as it was at first, dependant on the constant communication of divine influence. M hich divine influence, is not granted on condition of our obedience, but on condition of Christ's obedience untp death ; and therefore, that 71 privilege is not now held on any precarious tenure ; but on the infallible promise of God, in that new covenant of grace, which Christ con firmed by his death ; and of which he was the minister, the mediator, and the surety. Adam, by the same act whereby he broke the covenant in his public capacity, broke the moral law in his private and indi- vidual capacity, as it was tlie law of nature; and thereby subjected himself to the penalty of the law, as it was the law of nature, which included eternal death. After Adam by his transgression had broke the covenant, its penalty alone remained as entailed upon him- self and upon his posterity, as a consequence of the breach of it. And if Adam had ful- filled the covenant, ail that would aiterwards have remained of the covenant, would be its reward, as a consequence of its fulfilment. — When the Adamic covenant was broke, it was thereby abrogated and done away, nothing remaining ot it but its penalty. Just as the Sinai covenant was aboiisiied and done awa>' when it was fu I tilled by Christ, nothing re- maining of it but its penalty or its reward. — Christ was made under the Sinai law, but not under the Adamic covenant. He came into the world, and took upon him luunan nature, too late to fultii that covenant ; it was broke, and the reward forfeited. And if he had been made under it, he would have beeti under it only as a broken covenant which couid give no reward. And nothing would have resulted to him from it, but what results from it to all Adam's posterity or natural seed ; 1. 72 that is, the penalty of it, as the consequence of the bleach of it. V\ hich penalty is tem- poral and spiritual death. In that case, Christ would have come into the world desti- tute ofspiriluallife, which cannot be admitted, — He never was spiritually dead, nor did he bear the guilt and punishment consequent on Adam's breach of the covenant. God never w ithheld irom him those divine influ- ences, by w hich spiritual life in any creature is preserved. ( hrist w as not under the Adam- ic covenant, for he was not a descendant of Adam, being born of the virgin by the power of the Holy (^host. And though he partook ot' human nature w hen he took upon him the seed of Abraham, yet it was not derived from Adam; nor was he ever in Adam as a federal head. He was the seed of the woman, who was not a federal head; and made of a woman by the power of the Holy Ghost, so as to be tree from the consequences of Adam^s sin. Christ not being under the Adamic cove- nant, he could not bear its curse. \\ hat the apostle says of the Sinai law, is true of every law; and is true of the Adamic covenant. — . " II hat the laiv saith, it saiih to them who are vnder the law;'' and to no other. And he also observes, that believers were delivered from ihe Sinai law^ as a covenant, and v\ere not under it, therefore it could not condemn them. Christ was made under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law; which he could not have done, if he had not been made under it. A law, w hether 73 it be of a positive or a moral nature, can neither justify nor condemn those who ar« not under it. ^^ hen Christ was made a curse for us, he bore it, not as suffering, abstract- edly considered, but as the curse or penalty of that law, under which he was made -— And when he fulfilled the law, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, divine justice could accept of his obedience for that end and purpose, only as it was that righteousness which ihe law required. 1 here was no necessity for Christ to be made under the Adamic covenant, as it ad- mitted of no atonement. Man, in case of transgression, was to endure the penalty of that covenant in his own person; therefore under that covenant there was no mediator, no priest, no atonement provided. Ihe Adamic covenant being made w ith Adam as the federal head of his posterity or natural descendants, no being could ever be made under it, that was not a natural descendant of Adam. For there is no other way of being- made under any covenant", than by being one of the persons or characters included in that covenant. Therefore Christ, not being a natural descendant of Adam, could not be under the Adamic covenant, nor bear its penalty. If Christ had borne the curse of the Adamic covenant, then believers would not have to bear it at all in their own persons ; and neither sickness, pain, nor death, would have been the lot of believers, as the consequence of Adam's sin being imputed unto them,— 74 Though the moral law, under every adminis- tration ot it, threatened temporal death on the breakers of it; yet Christ hath delivered all believers from the curse of the moral law, both as it was the law of nature, and as it was the hinai covenant, bein^ made a curse for them. But the apostle asserts, that death, as the penalty of the Adamic covenant, passed upon all men as a consequence of Adam's sin being imputed unto them ; and that it hath reigned over those, who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam*s transgression. in the divine government, there is always a regard to justice in all cases of condemna- tion or justitication; whether they arise as the sentence of a positive or a moral law ; and it would be inconsistent with divine jjrocedure, to require the penalty of any law both of Christ and of bis members. If it were consistent with divine procedure, that Christ should bear the curse of the Adamic covenant for all believers, as members of his mystical body ; and that, nevertheless, they might bear it in their own persons; then, it would be also consistent with divine proce- dure, tliat though Christ had borne the curse of the moral law for all believers, as members of his mystical body ; yet, nevertheless, they might bear that curse also in their own persons. Though the death of Christ was the pro* curing cause of our redemption from natural and spiritual death, as the curse of the Adamic covenant ; yet that redemption was not ob- tained by means of any infliction of the 75 })eiif>lty on the person of Christ ; but bjr virtue of stipulations in the covenant of re- demption. Christ, by fultilling- its condition in his obedience unto death, obtained as his reward, a promise that all the elect should be raised from the dead, be quickened by the spirit, and receive eternal life. So that restoration to natural life, restoration to spiritual life, and the gift of eternal life, all result from the same efficient cause ; that is, from gracious stipulations in the covenant of redemption, obtained by Christ's obedi- ence unto death. And though redemption from the curse of the Adamic covenant, as it respects natural as well as spiritual death, is thus procured by Christ's obedience unto death, as it was the condition of the cove- nant of redemption ; yet that redemption from death consists rather in a removal of the curse already endured; or in deliverance from the perpetuity or continuance of the curse ; than in deliverance from all endur- ance of it whatever. For though death, whe- ther natural or spiritual, when once it has taken place, would naturally be of endless duration, yet it is not necessarili/ so, by virtue of the sentence. And believers are eventually delivered from the power of both, by virtue of those stipulations in the cove- nant of redemption, obtained by Christ's obedience unto death. It will readily be admitted that temporal death is in itself an evil ; and never can be converted into a good, or be a blessing in itself. Though it may be, and is, to believ- 76 crs, a blfssinoj in its consequences. In itself it is an enemy which shall be destroyed ; and believers may and do endure it as an evil in Itself, whilst they embrace it as a blessing in its consequences, and as the medium through which they enter into life eternal. — 1 he sentence of death hath already passed upon all men, as the consequence of their participation of Adam's sin, through union to him. 1 he first entrance of sin into the world, was bv Adam's transi>:ression, The consequence of this, its first entrance by that one transgression, was, the entrance of death. — As it is said; and so by this means, death, temporal and spiritual, passed upon all men; and hath reigned over all, even over those ^vho had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression ; for that all have sinned in him as their federal head. And herein he was tiie figure of him that was to come.-— But, says the apostle, the two cases are not exactly parallel with each other; for in the one case, judgment came upon ail men to condemnation by one offence ; but in the other case, the grace of God, by Jesus Christ, abounds to the forgiveness of and justifica- tion from many personal offences; and to the besiowment of eternal life, as the i'vee gift of God. it appears, that the primary design of the apostle in the latter part of this chapter, is to shew how Adam was a figure of Christ as a federal head; and that righte- ousness for justilication comes to us, just in the same way through Jesus Christ, as con- demnation comes to us through Adam ; that 77 is, by a constituted union. But it does not follow from hence, that the first entrance of sin into the world, under peculiar circum- staiices, as it was the breach of a covenant which was arbitrary with respect to the nature and extent of its rewards and punishments^ should be followed with all the consequences which attend it. when it is finished and con- summated in the actual and personal trans- gression of the moral law, as the law of nature. For though eternal death is the proper wages of sin, as it is an actual and personal breach of the moral law, as the law of nature; it does not therefore follow that sin, as it was the breach of a covenant, the rewards and punishments of which were arbitrary, de- pending only on the will of Goci, should be punished with eternal dealh. iNeither does it follow, that because salvation by Christ includes eternal life; therefore the first en- trance of sin by Adam's breach of an arbi- trary covenant, must be punishable with eternal death; which is the fruit of our own actual and personal transgressions. I he apostle sets forth a similarity in the manner wherein we are made sinners in Adam, and righteous in Christ. " For as by one mans disobedience many uere made sintiers; so, by the obedunce of otie, shaii vany be made riiihieousy Aiulnot only does he set forth a similarity of manner; bat speaks as though there were a greater degree of moral certainty in the one case, than in the oiher. For if the certain consequence of Adam's disobe- dience, was the condemnation and death of 78 all his posterity; much wore, shall the certain consequence of Christ's obedience, be the justification and salvation of every believer. — And plainly intimates, that the grace of God by Jesus Christ, so far exceeds, in its power and efficacy, the effects of Adam's sin, that it is much more than adequate to repair the damage done; and abounds even unto the gift of eternal life. 1 he apostle having finished what he had to say on the first entrance of sin, through Adam's breach of the covenant, proceeds to present us with an extended view of sin, as it abounded in actual and personal trans- gression. And introduces the subject in a manner, which clearly evinces that what he was about to say, was not included in what he had before said; but was something additional or superadded thereto, as is evi- dent from the introductory word, moreover. — 1 lie moral law was given upon mount Sinai, not that the sin of Adam might abound, in any view of it ; but that the knowledge and sinfulness of every man's own actual and personal transgression might abound in every man's own conscience. And even in this case, v^here sin hath abounded unto actual and personal transgressions; and in the con- sciences of sinners; the grace of God by Jesus Christ did much more extensively abound, and exceeded its power ; not only by purging ihe conscience, but in remedying all the effects and consequences of actual and personal transgressions; the proper wagvs of which was eternal death. And this grace 79 hath abounded through Christ Jesus to this end and purpose, that as the iirst entrance of sin and death, temporal and spiritual, hath been succeeded by actual and personal transgressions, wliich have reigned unto eternal death; even so, might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. But, says he, shall we continue in sinful practices, because grace abounds in our forgiveness and jus- tification unto eternal life? God forbid: — For how shall we who are by the grace of God dead to sin, live an}^ longer therein. Infants are born spiritually dead to God. — 1 hey are, totally destitute of spiritual life. But they cannot be tlie subjects of actual transgression, till they be capable of choosing the good and refusing the evil; or in other words, till they be capable of refusing to do what the law requires, or of doing what it forbids. Spiritual death, or the cessation of spiritual life, is uniformly succeeded by actual transgression, whenever the subjects of it are capable of moral actions. But infants have no natural ability to do, either what the law requires or forbids, and, there* fore, cannot be condemned for a personal breach of the law, while they are incapable of breaking it; nor yet for Adam's breach of the law, as it was the law of nature, in which breach, Adam acted in his private and individual capacity, and not as a federal head. Nor can they be treated as moral agents, while they are incapable of discern* jng the morality of actions. INor are they M so accountable for their actions, Mliiletliey are incapable of being influenced by motives or guided by reason. The imputation of Adam*s sin to his pos- terity, considered either as infants or adults, as it was the breach of the covenant, legally exposed them to punishment, as being legally guilty, and therefore proper objects of pun- ishment; but did not make them actually and personally criminal or guilty sinners in tliemselves. For if it did, then the imputa- tion of man*s sin to Christ, must make him actually and personally a criminal or guilty sinner in himself. And the imputation of his righteousness to us, would make us actu- ally and personally righteous characters in ourselves. Neither are infants made crimi- nal or guilty sinners in themselves^ by being born destitute of spiritual life, as a conse- cjuence of Adam's sin being imputed to them. The principle of life, whether natural or spiritual, is that whereby the subject of it is capable of acting. The existence of that principle of life, and the operations thereof, are distinct things; and its operations will be according to its nature. The principle of natural life, can exert itself only in actions which are purely natural, agreeably to its nature. Hence we read: ^^ The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God^ Jor they are foolishness unto him; neither can lie know them, because they are spirituallif discerned,'* A principle of spiritual life, will exert itself only in actions which are purely spiritual, agreeably to its nature: 81 that is, ill holy and spiritual dispositions, and in right actions. Hence we read : " IVho^ soever is born of God, doth not commit sin^ for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.'* These two distinct principles may clash or come in com- petition with each other; as 1 apprehend they did in Adam; but they cannot act contrary to their nature. Hence we read: " That which is born of the flesh, is flesh ; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit,'* \S here the soul is regenerated by the Spirit of God, whilst the body is dead because of sin, they counteract each other. Hence we read: " The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are con^ trary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." The principle of spiritual life is brought forth into action or exercise in spiritual dispositions, and in right actions. The principle of natural life is brought forth into action or exercise in the dispositions and actions of natural life — This subject may be illustrated by analogy, both in vegetable and animal life. There is in every vegetable a principle of vegetation, previous to the energies of that principle being exerted in the expansion and growth of the plant. Which principle, is distinct from the exertion of its energies, as cause and etFect. In animal life also, natural fa- culties must exist, previous to their exercise. — We must possess the faculty of sight, before it can be exercised on objects of vision. — And the exercise of that faculty, is distinct 82 from the faculty itself. So there must exist a vital principle of spiritual life in the soul, previous to the exercise of spiritual disposi- tions; which principle is, in its existence, distinct from its exercise. When the principle of spiritual life in Adam became extinct, it was no longer active in the exercise of holy and spiritual dispositions, or spiritual actions; and, of course, they ceased also. So, when the j)rinciple of natural life becomes extinct, the dispositions and actions of natural life are no longer performed, As spiritual life in Adam became extinct, by the withholding of those divine influences which were granted on condition of obedience, and which were necessary to the support and existence of that spiritual life; so, natural life became ulti^ mately extinct in Adam, by the withholding of ihat^ whatever it might be, which was granted on condition of obedience; and which was necessary to the support and per- petual existence of natural life. The dispositions of the mind, and the ac- tions of the life, come within the cognizance of the moral law. But the principle of life itself, whether natural or spiritual, is not within the cognizance of the moral law. — Therefore spiritual death, which is neither more nor less than the cessation of the ex- istence of the principle of spiritual life, is not in itself, abstractedly considered, cog- nizable by the law. And in this state, and under these circumstances, infants are born naturally into this world. 1 he operations 83 of the principle of spiritual as well as natu- ral life, either in the dispositions of the mind, or the actions of the life, are properly cognizable by the law; but not the exist- ence of the principle itself. Both negative and positive criminality, inevitably succeed a state of spiritual death; but there is nothing criminal or sinful in that state itself, abstracted from those etfects which inevit- ably succeed it. I'o love, or not to love God and our neighbour, relate to the exercise of a principle of life. A disposition to love God is the exercise of a principle of spiritual life. IN ot to love God and our neighbour, are negative crimes, which inevitably succeed a state of spiritual death, or the cessation of the existence of the principle of spiritual life. That principle of spiritual life, being- extinct, it is now no longer active in the ex- ercise of holy dispositions; and the soul, being under the guidance and direction of natural principles alone, it sinks in the first exercise of those natural principles, into a state of either negative or positive criminality, if it be in a state of moral agencv, — i hat which the law recognizes as a crime, is, either doing that which it forbids, or not doing that which it commands. ISot to love God, isasmuclia crime, a breach of the law, as to hate him. Spiritual death does not, in itself, consist of ])Ositive corrupt princi- ples; it being simply a privation of spiritual life ; as natural deatii is a privation of natural life. Spiritual death is succeeded by a posi- tive corruption of the whole man, in a moral 84 sense; but it is not in itself positive corrup- tion. As natural death is succeeded b} a positive corruption of the body, but it is not in itself positive corruption, it being simply a privation of natural life. And the exist- ence of life, or the privation of life, either natural or spiritual, is not that which the law takes cognizance of Therefore, though infants are the subjects of spiritual death, there is nothing; in their state and circum- stances, whilst they are incapable of moral actions, that is cognizable by the moral law, as the law of nature. Infants cannot be sub- ject to a charge of actual and personal crim- inality, while they are incapable of moral actions, or of committing either a positive or negative crime. A\ hile they have no na- tural ability either to choose or refuse, to obey or disobey, they cannot be considered as in a state of moral agency; nor be liable to the condemnation and curse of the law, as breakers of it ; nor be exposed to everlasting misery, which is the fruit or wages of actual and personal transgression.* To be actually and personally guilty of a crime, constitutes us criminal or guilty sinners in ourselves; and such was Adam's case, and is the case of every personal transgressor of God's law — To have the guilt of others justly imputed to us, in consequence of such a union to them as makes us one in the view of the law, may justly expose us to punishment, as being legally guilty, and therefore proper objects * Sec this subject treated of in Chap. V. 85 of punishment ; but does not make us crim- inal or guilty sinners in ourselves ; and such was Christ's case, and the case of Adam's posterity with relation to the sin of Adam. — As a shadow of good tilings to come, the tjoat. on the day of atonement, was made a sin offering, and suffered the punishment due to sin; but it never could be said, that be- cause sin was imputed to it, that therefore the goat was actually in itself a criminal or guilty sinner. And the scapegoat also was to be presented before the Lord, to make an atonement, as well as the goat whose lot it w as to die; signifying, that the thing represented was but one, that is the taking away of sin by the sacrifice of Christ; though the tigur- ative representation was composed of separate and distinct parts. Over the head of the scape goat, the sins of the people were con- fessed; upon it, they were ceremonially laid, and it ceremonially bore them away into a land not inhabited; signifying, that our sins are taken away by the atoning blood of Christ, when with humble faith and true contrition we confess them before God ; and rest on the atoning blood of Christ for our forgiveness. But though sin was in both cases imputed; yet in neither case could it be said, that because sin was imputed to the goat, it was thereby made in itself a criminal or guilty sinner. Personal criminality or personal guilt, is that which renders us deserving of punish- ment ; and 1 apprehend, that the desert of punishment cannot be transferred or removed from one to another, nor be taken away from a personal transgressor, by any means whatever. We may, at the judgment day, be legally exempted from punishment, til rough our sin having been taken away by an atonement made for it; but no one will dare to say, in that day, I do not deserve to be punished. 1 he scripture represents believers as being washed or cleansed from sin by the atoning blood of Christ; but never hints at their being rendered thereby personally undeserving of punishment. If we are made criminal or guilty sinners in ourselves^ in consecjuence of Adam's s;u being imputed unto us, Christ must ha\e been made a criminal or guilty sinner in linn- self^ in consequence of our sin being imputed unto him, which cannot be a truth. If we are legally and justly exposed to suffer the penalty of the Adamic covenant, in conse- quence of Adam^s sin being imputed unto us, which is a truth ; Christ must have been legally and justly exposed to suffer the curse of the law, in consequence of our sin being imputed unto him, which is also a truth. 87 CHAPTER V. ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE SALVATION OF INI ANTS. i HE body of every believer, is virtually redeemed by Christ, and is a part of the pur- chased possession ; in consequence of u hich, though it is sown in the grave a natural body, it shall be raised a spiritual and glo- rified body in the image of Christ; and to the enjoyment of life everlasting. At the last day, the Lord Jesus will change their vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. And then, every soul that is spiritually alive unto God, shaii possess a spiritual body ; and thej^ shall no more act in opposition to each other's inclin- ations, but in the most perfect unison for ever. As all who were in Adam as a federal head, died both a natural and spiritual death; so, N 88 all who are in Christ as a federal head, shall be made alive, or raised to natural and spi- ritual life ; and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. The body of every believer is at death sown in corruption ; but it shall be raised in incorrupiion. It is sown in dishonour; but it shall be raised in glory. It is sown a natural body, it shall be raised a spiritual body; and so it is written: " The first man ^ Adam^ was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit** This change is as necessary for the bodies of infants, as for the bodies of adults; and, no doubt, a similar or an equivalent change, passed upon Enoch and Elijah, at their translation; and will also pass upon ail who shall be in Christ, and alive at his coming. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a mo- ment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The dead in Christ shall rise first; then, they which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. Thus, the bodies of the saints who shall be aiive at the coming of Christ, shall be regenerated, but not through the medium of a natural death and spiritual resurrection ; but by the immediate power of God, as was Enoch and Elijah. And in passing through this change, they will, probably, undergo that which is equivalent to a natural death : 89 and will have sustained the penalty of the. Adaniic covenant; though thej will not sleep in the grave, nor see corruption. Believers suffer death, not as the curse of the law, for tliey are delivered from that curse, ( hrist being- made a curse for them, but as the penalty of the Adaniic covenant, " Intlte day tliou catest thereof^ thou shait die:'* and none, in the ordinary course of divine procedure, escape that penalty. Death, both natural and spiritual, having once taken place in man, would be naturallj^, (though not necessarily by virtue of the sentence) of endless duration, i he subjects of it would remain for ever in that state of death, unless delivered from it by the im- mediate power of God. The exertion of that power to eiiect deliverance from that state, was what man had no claim to; and to which, God was not bound by his perfections. Man having by disobedience forfeited both the natural liie of his body, and the spiritual life of his soul ; his case would have been for ever hopeless, had it not been for that cove-? nant of redemption, made between the three divine persons, wherein the restoration of all the elect was stipulated for, on condition of Christ's becoming obedient unto death, as a sacrifice for sin committed against the moral law of God; by which sacrifice, man could be honourably delivered from the curse of that law. This restoration of the elect, stipulated for in the covenant of redemption, on condi- tion of Christ*s becoming obedient unto 90 death, embraced tliree distinct objects — Their restoration to imturai iife. 1 heir re- storation to spiritual iife. And their entrance into eternal life. Ail these three gracious gifts, and sovereign blessings, were the fruit of ihe covenant of redemption, made be- tween the three divine persons; and the be- stowment of them on the elect, w as stipu- lated for by Christ, on condition of his becoming obedient unto death. First, restoration of the body to natural life. Hence the language of ( hrist : ^^ 1 am the resurrection and tfu life," And hence the language of the apostle: " For as by man cayjit death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead,'' As it is written: '' I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death, O Death, I will be thy puii^ues, O Grave, I will be thy destruc- tion '' Secondly, restoration to spiritual life, by the renewing influences of the holy Spirit. — Hence we read ; " When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see a seed, — Ee shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall he satisfied. According to his mercy he saved us bif ti\e washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost'' Thirdly, the gift of eternal life. As it is written: " Ihe gift of God is eternal life^ through Jesus Christ, In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began " Thus (Jirist, by becoming obedient unto death as the condition of the covenant of re- m ileiiiptiois, obtained as a reward of debt to hiiiiself, i'Vid as a sovereign bestowment to the eiect, the resurrection of the body, the quickening- of the soul by the renewing in- fluences of the spirit, and the promise of eternal life. The bodies of the wicked would remain for ever under the power of death, if divine justice did not require their being raised, in order to the full execution of the sentence of the law, under which the wicked in their whole persons lie; therefore, the resurrection of the wicked, with all their guilt and pollu- tion upon them, to everlasting shame and contempt, is an effect of divine power, di- rected by justice ; and is not a redemption from death, but necessary, in order to their sustaining in their whole persons, soul and body, the punishment of those sins which they committed while in the body. Eternal sufferings are the fruit and wages of our own actual and personal transgrej:- sions; and result not as the consequence of the breach of the Adamic covenant, but as the consequence of the breach of the moral law, as it is the law of nature. And the sentence pronounced upon impenitent sinners, will be, " depart from me, ye workers of iniquity/' But infants cannot be workers of iniquity. They are not actually and person- ally, in a proper sense, criminal or guilty sinners ; and cannot be conscious of sin in any sense; and therefore cannot be supposed liable to an eternity of actual su fie rings, which is the proper punishment of actual and perso^ial transgressions. 92 Infants are, in a legal point of view, sinners, with relation tothe Adamic covenant, through union to Adam as their federal head ; and suffer the penalty of that covenant, in the endurance of temporal and spiritual death ; from both of which, those infants who die in infancj' , are, it may be presumed, sovereit^id j and graciously delivered, by virtue of those stipulations in the covenant of redemption, which were obtained by Christ's obedience unto death. But infants cannot, in any sense, be transgressors of that law Mhich condemns to eternal death. Infants, whilst they are incapable of moral actions, or of discerning the morality of actions, cannot be considered as in a state of moral agency. There cannot be any thing in their state and circumstances which is cog- nizable by the moral law ; and therefore they cannot come under its curse. Neither are they responsible for Adam*s breach of the moral law, as it is the law of nature ; in which breach, Adam acted in his private and indivi- dual capacity, and not as a federal head. — As infants have no natural ability to obey or disobey, or to do, either what the law re- quires or forbids, and are incapable of com- mitting either a positive or negative crime, they cannot be in a state of moral agency, nor be viewed as transgressors of the moral law, as it is the law of nature. And if they cannot, with relation to that law, be viewed as transgressors, they must, with relation to that law, be viewed as innocent; till they become personal transgressors thereof. 93 Tlierefore, though infants, in consequence of union to Adam, are, in a legal point of view, sinners, with relation to the Adamic covenant ; and suffer its penalty in the en- durance of temporal and spiritual death ; yet they are not, during their state of in- fancy, subject to the curse of the moral law, as it is the law of nature, and not being in a state of moral agency, that law can make no demand upon them, either for the fultil- ment of its precepts, or the endurance of its penalty ; therefore, under such circumstances, they need neither pardon through the atone- ment, nor the rigiiteousness of another in order to justification. As infants are, with relation to the moral law, as it is th^ law of nature, free from transgression; or in other words, innocent; and cannot be condemned by that law ; and, as it plainly appears,* that neither temporal nor spiritual death, of wliich infants are the subjects, are, abstractedly considered, cog- nizable by that law; it is in the highest degree presumable, that those infants who die in their infancy, are not left eternally under tiiose peculiar circumstances, but partake of the benetits of redemption through Christ, as far as they stand in need thereof. As the bodies of adult believers stand in need of a spiritual resurrection ; the bodies of infants stand in need of the same. As the souls of adults, stand in need of being- made spiritually alive to God; infants stand in need of the same; which blesslno:s flow to * See Chapter 4, on tb.e AJaiViie Coenant. 94 til em through the medium of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus the Lord; and are procured by virtue of those stipulations in the covenant of redemption, which were obtained by Christ's obedience unto death, as the condition of that covenant. The souls of infants, and also of adults, would remain spiritually dead for ever, if God did not, by a sovereign act, the fruit of a divine promise made to Christ in the co- venant of redemption, again communicate to them spiritual life. The bodies of adult believers, and also of infants dying in their infancy, would remain for ever under the power of death, if God did not, by a simihir sovereign act, tiie fruit of the same promise, raise them from the dead. And they are raised from the dead, or delivered from the power of death, in order to their enjoying in their whole persons, soul and body, that eternal life which was promised in Cluist. 95 CHAPTER VI. ON "'^ADAM AND CHRIST, AS FEDERAL HEADS. j^DAM was constituted the federal head of all his natural seed or descendants. Christ albo, of whom Adam was a figure, was con- stituted the federal head of believers, as that spiritual seed which he was to see as the travail of his soul. As we must possess natural life, before we can be the natural seed of Adam, and personally in covenant relation to him; so we must possess spiritual life, before we can be of that spiritual seed which is personally in covenant relation to Christ. Men cannot be of that spiritual seed, whilst they are carnal, sensual and devilish. Saul of I'arsus was not of that spiritual seed, whilst he was breathing out tlireatenings and slaughter against that seed. — He was not quickened by the Spirit, and therefore not spiritually alive to God, whilst he remained dead in trespasses and sins. — Neither was he a child of God, whilst he remained a child of wrath; as he declares o 9(i himself to have been, previous to his con-^ version. He was one of those who were chosen of God, before the foundation of the world, to the adoption of ehildren by Jesus Christ; but none of those persons, so chosen, were personally the children of God, till they were born of God. The choice of them to the adoption of children, could not be the adoption itself. Adoption makes a stranger a child ; and we are all the children of God by faith in J^sus Christ. God may design to adopt a certain number of persons into his family ; but the design and the ex- ecution of the design, are two distinct things. — God may design to sanctify and glorify a certain chosen number of persons; but aei- ther their sanctitication nor their glorifica- tion is effected by the design to do it; nor does it take place at the time the design was^ formed. Christ was set up from everlasting, in design, as the federal head of all believers;, but he is not personally the federal head of any, till they are brought into covenant union to him through faith. Christ was con- stituted the federal head of all believers, as^ that spiritual seed, which he was to see as the travail of his soul ; and he becomes the federal head of all who become that spi- ritual seed or believers. And God might have brought all men into covenant relation to Christ, through faith or believing, if it had seemed good unto him so to do. Men are not excluded from the benefits which result from Christ's obedience unto death. ^7 because there is not a sudiciency in it for their salvati-on; but because the}^ have not faith in him, through which we enter into a state of covenant union to him as members of his mystical body. There is not any thing in the constitution of Christ as the federal head of believers, which either includes or excludes any man, otherwise than as he is a believer, or an unbeliever. Christ is not the federal head of any man, ti]l he becomes a believer. He is not the federal head of persons, simply as persons, but as believins^ persons, or as the characters of whom he was constituted the federal head. if all men were believers in him, he would be per- sonally their federal head; and in the be- stowment of faith to one and not to another, the sovereignty of personal election is mani- fested. . 98 CHAPTER VII. ON THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, AND THE BELIEVER'S REST. T HE patriarchal promises were intended for the comfort of those who lived previous to the Sinai dispensation ; and to whom the gospel was preached in those promises. — When God revealed and confirmed unto Abraham his promise in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, could not disannul it, that it should make the promise of none ef^&ct. Never- theless, the covenant made with Abraham did not clash or interfere with the Sinai dis- pensation; though that dispensation pre- scribed rules for the faith and worship of the church. Believers, under that dispensation, were encouraged by the promises made and confirmed unto Abraham, to hope in God through a promised Messiah, and to wait for his coming. Every thing relative to man's salvation, was stipulated for in the covenant of redemp- m tion matle between the three divine persons. And all the distinct revelations of God's covenant mercy throngh Christ, from the tirst discovery * of it to Adam, to the full display of it in the gospel, were only so many new and more clear manifestations of those covenant stipulations; which were the more clearly revealed, as the time drew nearer for the establishment of the new covenant under the gospel dispensation ; when life and immortality were to be brought clearly to light. 1 he promise of God in Christ, \vas more fully revealed and couiirmed unto Abraliam, than to any who had lived before him. Nevertheless, individual believers, from the time that the first gospel promise was made to Adam, saw, by faith, the prom- ised blessings afar oi\\ and were persuaded of their future fulfilment, and embraced them by faith ; though they did not live to see them fulfilled. Many righteous men de- sired to see the day of Christ, but died without the sight. By faith they lived in the assur- ance of interest in those promised blessings: and died in the same faith by which they lived. The heavenly rest, being revealed to Abra- ham and his posterity, by the promise of God and under the visible type of a temporal rest in the land of Canaan, many of them entered into rest by faith whilst upon earth; and rejoiced in liope of entering personally into the heavenly rest in the Canaan above. In the early ages of the world, whilst as yet there was no written word, divine and 100 heavenly things were revealed and proposed to man through the medium of traditional promises and emblematical representations. — And those who were taught by the spirit to discern the meaning of those emblems, he- held and embraced those heavenly things by faith; even as christians now behold and embrace the same things, revealed to them by the written word. By faith, Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country ; dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. They looked by faith thro ugh those temporal things, to those divine and heavenly things, which those temporal things prefigured. As so- journers in the land of promise, they confessed that they were only strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; but they looked by faith be- yond that state, as being a figurative repre- sentation of their future residence in that eternal inheritance, which God had promised to them through Christ; whose day they saw afar off, and waited patiently for his salva- tion, till the time came that they were to inherit the promises. Thus, they declared plainly that they sought a heavenly country, a land of promise better than that of Canaan ; wherein they were not to sojourn for a time only, as pilgrims and strangers dwelling in tabernacles, but abide for ever, as heirs of that eternal inheritance, and dwell in a city 101 of habitation. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. Under the Old Testament dispensation, a day of rest was to be kept holy, in comme- moration of God's having rested from the vvork of creation. And man beheld in every returning sabbath, a fresh memorial of God as his Creator; and which served as a means to preserve the k^wiedge of (jod; and to teach man his dependance upon him, and the duty he owed to him. Under the New Testament dispensation, a day of rest is to be kept holy, in commemo- ration of Christ's having entered into his vest, when he had linished the work of man'^s redemption. And christians behold in every returning sabbath, a fresh memorial of Christ, as their exalted and gloritied redeemer; and are taught their dependance upon him for every spiritual blessing, and for the gift of eternal life Under the Old Testament dispensation, man was commanded to cease from his daily w ork and to rest on the seventh day, a^ com- memorative of God's having rested from all his works on that day. Under the New Testament dispensation, christians are to cease from tlieir daily work, and to rest on the Mrst day of the week, as commemorative of Christ*s having ceased from his work of redemption, and entered into his rest on that d;iy. Believers enter into rest iioic by faith, as an earnest of their future entrance into the 10: lioavenly rest in the Canaan above. Hence the apostle says: " We which have helieoed do enter into rest.'* We have an earnest and a foretaste of the heavenly rest, now by that faith which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. — '] his day of rest under the gospel dispensa- tion, was foreseen and spoken of in David's j)salms; and is elearly^istinct from the promised rest in the laiiS^Wf Canaan, which was a ty\iG and to believers an earnest of tlie heavenly rest in the Canaan above. For if no 4)ther eartihiy rest than that of Canaan was ever intended to be provided for the people of God, God would not afterwards, in David^ have spoken of another day. As it is said : '' tor if Jesiis^'* that is Joshua, " had given them rest; then would lie not afterwards have spoke7i of ari other day J* It is therefore mani- fest, that the earthly rest in the land of Canaan, was not the only earthly rest that <3od ever intended to provide for his believing people, because, a long time after the chil- dren of Israel were in possession of that rest, God spake, in David, of another day, when a more glorious and spiritual rest was to be, in an especial manner, clearly preached or set before them for their acceptance ; and which the true spiritual Joshua was to give to all those who heard and obeyed his voice, and cordially embraced that blessing. Hence it is said : '' We which have believed^ do enter into lesty The apostle shews that this day spoken of in David, was the gospel day ; as is manifest from his manner of reasoning in 103 the epistle to the Hebrews. " Moses verily lias faithful in all his house as a servant, but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we^if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end, — Wlicrifore, as the Holy Ghost saith, in David, lo'dat/ if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts^ as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the iciMerness ; when your fathers tempted me, prove^ne, and saw my works forty years, Wherefore 1 was grieved with that ge- neration, and said, they do alway err in their hearts; and have not known my ways: so I sware in my icrath, they shall not enter into iny rest* lake heed, brethreii, lest tlitre be in. any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in depart^ ing from the living God ; but exhort one another daily, while it is called, to-day; lest any (f you be hardened throuoh the deceitfulness of sin, — For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our cor}fidence stedfast unto the end; while it is i^aid, to-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the pro- vocation. And to whom sware he, that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not! So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let 21s, therefore^ fear, lest a promise being left tis of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it; for unto us was the gospel preached, as we /I as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mi.vcd with faith in them thai heard ; but we which have btlitrcd, do ent'^.T into rest y In nil this, we evident. y see, that the apostle is pleading' wilh his p 104 brethren, the Jews, that they would take heed to profit by the example of their fore- fathers' unbelief; for that God had promised, in David's psalms, that there should be ano- ther dav or limited time, when a spiritual rest by faith, as a pledge and foretaste of the heavenly rest, should be in an especial manner preached or proposed to them for acceptance ; not as formerly, by obf|8ure promises and under the type of an earthly inheritance, but by the preaching of the gospel, and the coming of the Son of God. Hence the apostle says : " Again he Ibniteth a certain dai/, saying in Davids to-day^ after so long a time^ if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,''' And he enjoins it upon them, that they exhort one another, while it is called, to-day; or while the time of this gracious visitation lasted. And hence the language of our Saviour's lamentation over Jerusalem, saying: " If thou hadst known, at least in this thij day, the things which belong to thy peace^ hut now they are hid from thitie eyes. For thine enemies shall lay thee even with the ground, and ihy children within thee, because thou kneW' est not the time of thy visitation y It is evident, that whilst the apostle is speaking of the earthly rest in Canaan, and the spiritual rest by faith, he connects with them, that heavenly rest, of which these rests were representations and pledges. — 1 fence he says : Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, in consequence of that pronnse to Abraham : " In thy seed shall all nations be blessed." And also the 105 promise to Christ: " He shall see a seed and the travail of Jus soul^ and shall be satis/ied.^' — - And they to whom it was first preached, en- tered not in, because of unbelief. Let us labour, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For unto us was the gospel preached in the promises made to Abraham, as well as unto them, Figuratively in this promise: " To thee and to thy seed will I gii^e this land, all the land of Canaan^ for an ever- lasting possession ^ And plainly, without a figure, in this promise: '' In thtj seed shall all nations be blesstd/' There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God. That heavenly rest which was first preached to the fathers, still remains to the people of God; both in the foretaste of it on earth by faith, and in the full enjoy- ment of it in the Canaan above. The prom- ise made to Abraham, wore a double aspect, and was to have a double fulfilment; and explains the meaning of these words of the apostle: " Seeing therefore it remaineth that some MUST eifter therein.*' The promise was, " To thee and to thy seed will I give this land, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting pos- session** In this promise of a temporal blessing' to natural Israel is hid, the promise of a spiritual blessing to spiritual Israel. — This promise to Abraham must be fulfilled; first literally; it therefore followed or re- mained, that some of Abraham's natural seed or descendants must enter the earthly Canaan; though others could not enter into 106 that rest because of unbelief. Secondly, this promise to Abraham must be fultilled in a spiritual sense; for this earthly Canaan was a type and pledge ol the heavenly Canaan. — And Abraham's natural seed entering into the earihly Canaan, was a type of his spiri- tual seed entering into the heavenly Canaan. — The apostle says, that the spiritual seed of Abraham were heirs of the heavenly (Janaan, according to this promise to Abraham and to his seed. As it is written : " if yebeChrist*s> then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs ac- cording to the pjomise.'' V\ hicii promise the apostle, in another place, calls a promise that he and his spiritual seed should be heirs of the world. As it is written : ^^ The promise that he should be the heir of the worlds was not to Abraham or to his seed, through the law, but through the rsghfeousness of faith ** Hence it is evident, that this promise of Canaan to Abra- ham and his seed, was to have a spiritual fulfil- ment; it being indirectly made to spiritual subjects. Hence we read : " // is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end, the promise might be sure to alt the seed; not to that only which is of the law or among theJews^ but to that also among the Gentiles, which is of the faith of Abraham^ who is the father of us all. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations'^ For they who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham, wherever they may be found, and of whatever nation they may be. It therefore followed or remained also, that some MUST enter into that heavenly Canaan, which is, in the promise to Abraham ai>d to his seed, indirectly promised to believers. 107 Thus, both an earthly and an heavenly rest, as objects of faith and acceptance, were set before Israel in the wilderness; and those who mixed faith with the word of prom^ ise, and were enlightened to discern the spi- ritual import thereof, enjoyed the earthly rest as an earnest and pledge of their enter- ing into the heavenly rest ; even as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned in the land of promise, as an earnest and pledge of a better inheritance; confessing that they were only strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; but sought a better country, that is, an heavenly. Wherefore God was not ashamed to be called their God, having prepared for them a city of habitation, an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan. 108 CHAPTER VIII. ON THE MEDIATORSHIP OF MOSES AND CHRIST. J\x^SES was not only appointed of God to be the mediator between God and man, under the old covenant, but he was accepted of the people in that capacity. For when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai in fire and tempest, and in all the majesty of deity, to give the law; and all the people saw the lightnings, and heard the thunderings and the noise of the trumpet, they trembled, and said unto Moses: Speak thou with us and we will hear, but let not God speak with us lest we die. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee. — They have well said, all that they have spoken. God approved of their accepting of Moses as their minister and mediator; by whom they were to receive the words of God, and draw nigh unto him. Oft-times did Moses stand iw the gap between them and 109 destruction, plead for them as their mediator, and make up the breach between them and God. In like manner Christ, of whom Moses was a type, was not only appointed of God to be the mediator between God and man, but he is accepted as such, by that people of whom the children of Israel were a type; even by all those who are brought into co- venant relation to God through faitli in Christ, by whom they draw nigh to God, and who is their advocate with the father, and who ever liveth to intercede for them. But Jesus hath obtained a more excellent ministry than Moses; and is the mediator of a better co- venant, established upon better promises, and which brought in a better hope. The Sinai covenant contained no promises of re- newing and sanctifying grace; and was, in effect, the ministration of condemnation. — But the new covenant, of which Christ is the minister and mediator, contains promises of grace and every spiritual blessing; all which are obtained through the mediation of Christ, and are ministered unto us by him, — As God approved of the Israelites accept- ing of Moses as their minister and mediator; so he approves of our accepting of Christ as our minister and mediator; who speaketh unto us the words of God, and by whom we draw nigh unto him, and of whom Moses was an eminent type; as it is written, " A j)rophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him shall \e liear." 110 CHAPTER IX. ON THE SINAI COVENANT. T HE apostle declares, that the righteous- ness of the law given at Sinai, speaketh on this wise. lie that doeth them, shall live by them. Accordingly, our Saviour said to the young man who inquired of him what he should do to inherit eternal life, answer- ing him on his own principles, ** If thou wilt enter into life, keep the command- ments/* But that which was ordained unto life, was found to be unto death. Hence the apostle calls it, the ministration of death. And says, if there had been a law given which could have been fulfilled by man, and thereb}^ Isave given life, verily righteousness for justii'cation should have been by man's obedience to the law. But the law was weak and unable to give life, owing to the weakness and inability of man to fulfil it — And because the law, owing to man's inabi- lity, was >^eak and had no power either to minister righteousness for justification, or io give eternal life; and was, in effect, the Ill ministration of condemnation ; therefore God sent his son in the likeness of sinful tiesh, to endure its curse, and to fultji its ])recepts ; that through his becoming the end of tlie law for ri<;hreousness to every one that be- lieveth, the promise of the eieiiiid inherits ance might be given to all beiievGrs, as justi- fied persons through the rij^hteousness of faith. When the apostle, in distinguishing the righteousness of the law from the righteous- ness of faith, says, the righteousness which is of tlie law, speaketh on this wise, lie that doeth them shall live in them, he manifestly refers to that law, which he says v^as or^ dained unto life. And those vvords are equally applicable to the ceremonial law.— For there were two kinds of life and happi- ness promised to the Jews in the Siiiai co- venant, or rather covenants. Eternal lite and happiness in heaven, as the reward of perfect obedience to that law which formally constituted that covenant which wa.s ordained unto life. And also temporal life and hap- piness in the land of Canaan, as the reward of their external observance of the j>recepts of the moral law, and of the statutes and judgments of the ceremonial and judicial laws. i)y their external observance of the moral and ceremonial laws, they were to enjoy that temporal life and prosperity in the land of Ca^iaan, which was a ngure of eternal life and happiness in ihe Lea^eniy Canaan; and which eternal life, was prom° ised in the Sinai covenant on coudiiion of Q 112 perfect and spiritual obedience to the moral Jaw; which law virtually required obedi- ence, not only to the ceremonial law, but to all the commands of God, at whatever time those commands mi« ht be given, and of w hat- ever nature they might be. 1 he Sinai covenant consisted of separate and distinct parts. The moral, the ceremo- nial, and the judicial laws. Or rather, there were then established, two separate and dis- tinct covenants, accompanied with different promises, and intended to answer different purposes. 1 hat it consisted of separate and distinct parts, or rather, that there were then established two distinct covenants, will ap- pear by comparing the following scriptures with each other: Deux. v. 3. " llie Lord our God wade a covenant with iis in Horeb'* — DEUT.iv. 12. " And the Lord spake unto you out oj the midst of thefire^ and he declared unto you his covenant, ichich he commanded you to perform^ even ten comntandments; and ht wrote them npon two tables of stone." Deut. v. 22. '^ 7 hese words the Lord spake unto all your assembly, in the mount, out of the midst of fire ^ of the cloud and of the thick darkness^ with a great voice. And he added no more. And he wrote them on two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me'* This is emphatically called, the covenant of the Lord their God ; and was formally that covenant which was ordained unto eternal life. But Moses, speaking of the ceremonial and judicial laws, distin- guishes them from the covenant made at lioreb. And says, " And the Lord command- 113 ed me at that time^ to teach you statutes and judgments^ that ye might do them in the land ichither ye go over to possess it^ And again, Moses, after rehearsing the ceremonial law, says, Deut. xxix. 1, '' These are the words of the covenant^ which tht Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moah; beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeh/' Deut. xxxi. 24. " And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were ^finished, that Moses commanded the Lev'ites which bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying. Take this hook of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your Gody — Deut. viii. i. " All the commandments which I command thee this day, shall ye observe to do, that ye may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which t he Lord sware unto your fathers, Deut. xxx. 19. I have set before you life and death, blesnng and cursing, therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.'* Thus, temporal life and prosperity in the land of Canaan, were promised them on condition of their external observance of the moral, ceremonial, and judicial laws, — Whilst eternal life was promised them, on condition of their perfect and spiritual obedi- ence to the moral law, as that covenant which the Lord iheir God made with them in Horeb. ^-W ith this, agrees the answer of our Saviour to the lawyer's question, what shall 1 do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, what i« written in the law, how readest thou? He 114 answered, thou slialt love the Lord thy God, with ali thj heart, and thy neighbour as thy- self Our Saviour replied, 1 his do and thou shalt live. Christ was made under the Sinai law % or born a Jew, that he might be one of those covenanted with ; and by fulfilling that law, claim for himself and in his own right, the inheritance promised on condition of perfect obedience to the Sinai law as a covenant. — Nevertheless, Christ being previously con- stituted the federal head of all believers, came under the curse of the moral law, as it was the law of nature, and also as it was the Sinai covenant, by a constituted union to believing sinners. In this connexion with his sinful members, as one mystical body, the law viewed him as made sin. \S hilst in his own person he fulfilled the law ; and the law viewed him as holy, harmless, undetiled, and separate from sinners; and as having fulfilled all righteousness. And by his ovsn actual and personal fulfilment of the Sinai cdvenant, he could claim its reward in his own right, as a reward of debt. Pardon or exemption from punishment, and justifica- tion, are judicial acts sanctioned by the moral law; and are obtained through the same medium, under every administration of that law. All that is necessary to our justification is, the possession of a righteousness adequate to the demands of the law; whether it be the righteousness of another justly imputed unto us; or righteousness wrought by our own obedience to the law : and as the righto- 115 ousness of Christ is, in the view of the law, justly imputed to all believers, their justifi-^ cation is thereby necessarily secured " He hath wade him to he sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him/* In a legal point of view, he was made sin, through union to his sinful members; whilst he was actually and per- sonally in a proper sense, holy and without sin. It was necessary that Christ should be made personally under the Sinai law, that he might redeem those who were under it from its cur>e. He could be made personally under that covenant, without being brought thereby personally in a proper sense under its curse, or without being under it as a broken covenant with relation to himself. — • IS o Jew was personally in a proper sense under its curse, till he had personally broken it ; and consequently it could be fulfilled for righteousness unto justification of life by Jesus Christ, who was a Jew. As the Sinai covenant promised eternal life, on condition of our own personal and spiritual obedience, so it threatened temporal and eternal death on all who broke it; but not being made with a federal head, every individual Jew acted for himself, and came under its curse by his own actual transgression. There was one and only one exception to this in the person of Christ, who being previously- constituted the- federal head of all believers, was, in a legal point of view, made sin, and came under the curse of the law, through union to his sinful members. 116 The Sinai covenant being made with the Jews, a Gentile could not at any time be made under it, otherwise than b}^ becoming a proseljted Jew. And no man, whether Jew or Gentile, could be made under the Sinai covenant after the death of Christ, who abol- ished it bv fullilHng it ; and took it out of the way, he being the substance of the ce- remonial law, and the end of the moral law, for righteousness to every one that be- lieveth. As the Adamic covenant was done awaj when it was broke by Adam; so, the Sinai covenant was done away when it was fulfilled by Christ, the second Adam. It continued in being until Christ, at whose death it ex- pired, and no longer retained either a promise of life or power to curse. Believing Jews became dead to the Sinai covenant by the body of Christ, as it respects entertaining any hopes from it or fear of it. And if the Jews in the present day were but convinced that it was dead, and could neither bless nor curse, and that they had no more to hope or fear from it than from a dead carcase, they would no longer cleave to it, but would become dead to it, as it respects hope or fear. The moral law, as it is the law of nature, is not dead, nor ever will be in itself, though it cannot curse believers, they being delivered from its power through the obedi- ence of Christ; and they are dead to it, so far as it respects entertaining any hopes from it, or any fear of it. But the moral law, as it was the Sinai covenant, is dead in itself, 117 and taken out of the way, as no longer of any use, now tlie great and principal end for M liich it was mide, is ansvvered by Christ's fultiiling it; as he said, "1 came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it." As many of the Gentiles as are now seeking salvation by their own obedience to the moral law, are under its curse. And in like manner, the Jews were held in bondage by the Sinai covenant, whilst that covenant existed. The moral law, as it is the law of nature, and as it was the basis of the Sinai covenant, is but one and the same law, under two dif- ferent administrations of it. In the one case, it is eternally binding upon man. In the other, it formed the basis of a temporary co- venant, which was done away when the end for which it was made was answered. Hence the apostle, speaking of the Sinai covenant as the ministration of death and condemna- tion, says: " //' tltat which is done away ivas glorious^ much more that which remnineth, is glorious.** And also informs us, that the minds of the children of Israel were blinded, so that they could not stedfastiy look to the end of that which is abolished. In all which he manifestly refers to the Sinai law as a co- venant, written and engraven on stones. — And again: *• The woman ichich hath an husband J is hound by the law to her husband so lono' as ha liveth ; but if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband, — But now, we are delivered from the laWy (or Sinai covenant) that bting dead wherein ice were held.** 118 As the recjuirements and the curse of the moral liiw, as it was the Sinai covenant, were the same in substance with those of the moral law, as it was the law of nature, the sauie atonement and the same rii>hteousness which satisfied the one, satisfied the other; for they were ojily diil'erent adminij^trations of the same moral hiw; but given under difr ferent circumstances, and for different pur- poses. The moral law as it was the law of nature, was not a covenant: as it was the Sinai law, it was the condition of a covenant. ? — If the curse of the law, as it was the Sinai covenant, had not been endured by Christ, which curse he could not have endured if he had not been made under it, the Jews, who had broken that covenant could not have been delivered Irom its curse. Hence we read: '' He was made wider the law, that lie wtiilit redeem those that were under the law.'*—^ If the curse of the law, as it was the law of nature, had not been endured by Christ, neither Jews nor Gentiles, who had broken that law, could have been delivered from its curse. In like manner, the righteousness of the moral law, as it was the Sinai covenant, was ihe righteousness of the moral law, as it was the law of nature; and C hrist by ful- filling the one, fulfilled the other. And through the obedience of Christ, believers are dead to the law, under every administra- tion of it, except as a rule of obedience; but in this point of view, they owe obedi- ence to the moral law, as it is the law of nature; and nothing can release them from 119 that bond of obligation, whilst they stand in relation to God, as creatures to their Cre- ator. As the law can neither give life, nor con- demn a believer in Christ, he has nothing either to hope or fear from it. And the apostle informed the Galatian believers, that it was by faith in Christ tha* they had access into that state of grace and freedom from the law, in which they stood. Being brought into the glorious liberty of tlie children of God, he cautions them that thef do not fall from that slate of grace and fiivour, but to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free; and not be entangled with the yoke of bondage. For those of them tliat desired to be under the law, made them- selves debtors to do the whole law, and fell under its curse. Believers being dead to the law by the body of Christ, they have righte- ousness ministered unto them through faith, and are justified without performing in their own persons the deeds of the law. J hey have ceased to rely upon their own works for justification and eternal life, and rest in hope by faith. Though the moral law, as it was the Sinai covenant, was to the Jews the ministration of condemnation; the ceremonial law was their schoolmaster to teach them how they might escape condemnation and obtain life, by pointing them to Christ, who was to sutler tlie curse and fulfil the precepts of that law, which ministered to thetn condemnaiion, and by his obedience unto death become a pro- R 120 pltiation for sin, through faith in his blood, and bring in an everlasting righteousness for justification rnto eternal life. And they were to receive circumcision as the seal of the righteousness of faith, or as a standing tes- timony, that God would impute righteous- ness for justification, to all who looked by faith to that promised Messiah, who was sha- dowed forth in their types and figures. But when the true light shone and brought life and immortality to light, there was no longer any need of shadows. The Jews, owing partly to the darkness of that dispensation, and partly to prejudices which they had imbibed, did not perceive, that through Christ's obedience to the law, righteousness was to be ministered unto them through faith. The gospel is called the mi- nistration of righteousness, in contra-distinc- tion to the Jaw written and engraven upon stones, which was the ministration of death and condemnation. This ministration of righteousness through faith, was the stone at which the Jews stumbled. They obsti- nately persisted in attempting to establish their own righteousness, and could not submit to the righteousness of faith for justification ; nor perceive that Christ, by fulfilling the law, became the end of the law for righteous- ness to every one that believed. Therefore, says the apostle, they attained not unto righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but by their own obedience to the law; and rejected Christ and salvation by him. Therefore their house was left unto 121 them desolate. And unto this day the same veil of prejudice and unbelief that then co- vered their minds, remains untaken awav, in their reading of the Old Testament; but when the Lord shall take it awaj, then they shall turn to the Lord. Previous, however, to the gospel day, there were some Jews who waited for Christ, the consolation of Israel; and desired to see the gospel day, though many of them died without the sight, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were persuaded of them, and embraced them. — If the Lord had not, in the gospel day, left the Jews a very small remnant of believers, according to the election of grace, they would have been destroyed as Sodom, and have been made like unto Gomorrah. The Sinai covenant was to be done away, in three different points of view. First, the iiioral law, as it was the Sinai covenant, was to be done away, that the ministration of righteousness through faith might suc- ceed it. Secondly, the ceremonial law, which was a shadow of good things to come, was also to be done away when the true light shone, whereby life and immortality were brought clearly to light. Thirdly, the Sinai dispensation altogether, as it was a rule for the faith and worship of the church, was to be taken away, that it might make room for the gospel dispensation, as a rule for the faith and worship of the church. The ceremonial law w^as, for the time then being, the shadow of good things to come, 122 the gospel in type and figure ; but when the substance of those shadows was come, and life and immortality were brought clearly to light, there was no longer any need of the ceremonial law to set forth Christ and his salvation. 1 he whole of the Sinai dispen- sation, as it \^ as for the time then being, the established rule for the church in all things pertaining to faith and worship, was to give place to the more spiritual and clear dispen- sation of the gospel; which v\ as now to form the only rule of taith and worship to the church. 1 he Sinai dispensation was never intendf d to continue any longer than till the seed came, who was the substance of its shadows. It was only as an artificial light in a dark place, to guide the church until the true light shone. The gospel dispensa- tion could not be introduced as a guide for the faith and worship of the church, whilst die old covenant establishment continued in force, as a guide for the faith and worship of the church. They were, as to modes, so di- rectly opposite to each other, that they could not both of them be a guide to the church at one and the same time. Therefore, there was a disannulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unpro- titableness thereof; for the priesthood being changed, there was made, of necessity, a change also in the law ; for the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope, founded on a better covenant, did, by the which we draw nigh to God, 123 Thus, the covenants made with the Jews at Sinai were, in due time, done away in all their parts and branches, ai'ter they liad an- swered the ends for which they were made. — Lastly, if Christ had not been man, and made under tlie law, as it was the law of nature, he could not have redeemed the Gentiles. If he had not been a Jew, -and made under the law, as it was the Sinai covenant, he could not have redeemed ihe Jews, lie was made of a woman, that he might be man, and under the moral law, as it was the law of nature. Me was born a Jew, that he might be under the moral law, as it was the Sinai covenant. '' In the fulnefis of ike tine, God sent forth his son, made of a uoman, made under the law, that he mtghl redeem them that were under the law** 124 CHAPTER X. ON THE PROVISION MADE IN CHRIST, FOR THE SALVATION OF SINNERS. VyllRIST, having made an atonement for sin, by enduring the curse of the law, he became thereby a propitiation for our sins through faith in his blood ; and thereby, God could again be propitious to man. Public justice was satisfied, and the character of God, as a just God and the moral governor of the world, no longer presented any ob- stacle in the way of a sinner's salvation. — God could now honourably bring to glory, as many of the fallen race of Adam, as his wisdom and goodness might lead him to adopt as his children ; or all men, if he had chosen all men to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. ]^y Christ's obedience unto death, the ob- stacles which stood in the way of our recon- ciliation to God, were removed ; and till they were removed, divine justice stood opposed 125 to our salvation. Were God to sare niaii, at theexpenseof his justice, it would dishonour his character as the moral governor of the world, and the supreme judge of all; and also undermine the authority of his holy law. In Christ's obedience unto death, God had an immediate and an ultimate design, 'i'he immediate end and design of it was to open a way wherein he could, consistently with his holy character, pardon and accept sinners. The ultimate design of it, as it respects man^ was that many sons and daughters, even all those who were chosen before the foundation of the world to the adoption of children, and ordained unto eternal life, might be safely and honourably brought to glory; and that the rest to whom the gospel comes, might be left without excuse, in refusing to accept of the provision made in Christ for the salvation of sinners. Or, in a few words, the specific design of God in the death of Christ, was to make provision for the sal- vation of sinners, whereby the elect might be saved, and the rest be left without excuse. Of the state and circumstances of the heathen, we are not called upon to judge. — The judge of all the earth will do right; and will shew his creatures that his ways are holy, just and good. But were 1 to hazard an opinion on the subject, I would say, that no human being will ever be able to say, with truth, I never had an opportunity afforded me, whereby it was possible for me to have escaped the damnation of iiell, however wil- ling I might have been. 126 Christ, in fulfilling all righteousness, and in becoming obedient unto the death of the cross, as a sacrifice for the sin of the world, that whosoever belie veth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life, was a sweet savour unto God, both in those that are saved, and in those that perish. — As were also his apostles, in the preaching of the gospel to those who were never bene- fited by it. For as God is glorified in the ofiers of salvation unto man, by his apostles and ministers, even to those who reject them, so is he glorified in the provision which he has made in Christ for the salvation of sinners; although that j^ro vision is of no avail as it respects the benefit of those individuals who refuse to accept of it. And without such l^rovision having been made in Christ, as is sufiicient, and would be efiectual for the sal- vation of all men, if accepted by them, the otfers of salvation made in the goapel to all men who hear it, would not be consistent with the character of God. God, in the gospel, invites either all sinners to come to Christ, or only a part. If he invites all, and Christ died only for a certain number, to the exclusion of the rest, the invitation to all, cannot be reconciled with the sincerity of God. If only a part are invited by him, the rest have no warrant to come. If in a time of general sickness, a be- nevolent man were to provide a sovereign remedy, and invite all lo accept of it, who- ever ret'used to accej)t of it would be left without excuse. An nll-sufiicient remedy 127 ' was provided, and all who chose to accept of it, had a warrant to come for it, on the ground of the free invitation. So far, there was no discrimination of persons. In the providing the remedy, there was nothing which restricted it to any number of persons. — And so far, no one had an interest in it above others. It was free for all, but not beneficial to any, till accepted and applied. — It was a remedy provided, ready to be be- stowed upon all who chose to accept of it. — In so providing that remedy, suppose the person to have had in view, a two-fold design: — First, that by an act of his power inclin- ing the wills of a certain chosen number of persons to accept of the remedy, they might have it and be healed. And secondly, that the rest might be left without excuse, and have to blame themselves only for their own folly, in having refused to accept of the remedy ; no obstacle lying in their way, which could prevent their reception of it, save that their folly and stupidity was such, that they loved their state of sickness and disease better than the remedy proposed to them, and remained in a state of sickness, because they refused to accept of that remedy, where- by, if accepted, they might have been healed. Similar to this is the provision which God has made in Christ for the salva- tion of sinners. As Moses lifted up the ser- pent in the wilderness, that whosoever looked to that serpent might be healed ; so was the son of man lifted up, that whosoever be- lieveth in him, might not perish, but have s 128 everlasting life. For God sent liis son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. — Nevertheless, it does not therefore follow, that all the world must believe on him and be saved ; no more than it followed, that because the serpent was lifted up, therefore all the wounded Israelites must be healed. — All that looked were healed, and the rest were left without excuse. In the lifting up of the serpent as a remedy, there was no- thing that restricted the benefits intended to be bestowed through it> to any number of persons. It was for all, but beneficial to no others than those who looked to it. It was a remedy provided that whosoever chose to seek a cure by looking to it, might be healed ; and no Israelite had any interest in it, or re- ceived any benefit from it, but by looking to it. It was necessary for the cure of one, and sufficient for the cure of all ; and if all were not cured, they would have to blame them- selves alone. 'I he remedy was provided, but they refused to accept of it, and therefore died. In like manner, says the scripture, the son of man was lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. Here was a founda- tion for an invitation to all who will, to come and take of the waters of life freely; but not any personal discrimination. And persons are no otherwise included in that declaration, than as sustaining the character there described. But were the subject to be left here, it would be making salvation pos- 129 sible to all, but not certain to any. There- fore, we find God predestinated some of the fallen race of Adam to the adoption of clul- dren by Jesus Christ ; and chose them, before the foundationof the world, that they should be made willing, in the day of his power, to accept of that provision which he has made in Christ for the salvation of sinners. For there is no necessary connexion between that provision and the personal salvation of any man, but what arises from the design of God to make that provision etfectual to salvation, by inclining sinners to accept of it, whereby they are made partakers of the benetits, which, either immtdiately or remotely, result from Christ's obedience unto death. But the wrath of God w ill abide on all impeni- tent sinners who hear the gospel and reject it, because they believe not on him whom God hath sent into the world to save sinners; and they will finally have to say, not only that they die justly, but that they might have escaped the damnation of hell, if their own folly had not led them to neglect or reject that provision which God made in Christ for the salvation of sinners. The existing reason why all men to whom the gospel comes, are not benefited by the obedience and death of Christ, will be found to be, that some, being left to the natural bias of their own corrupt hearts, love sin too well to seek deliverance from it ; and either totally neglect or refuse to accept of God's salvation. Faith being that belief of the truth which includes a cordial reception of it. 130 — God makes his elect willing, in the day of his power. But if all men had been left to the natural bias of their own corrupt heart, and had refused to accept of God's salvation through Christ, none would have been saved. If all were to accept of it, all would be saved. And though Christ ful- filled all righteousness, yet if none had ever been united to Christ by a constituted union through faith, which is the gift of God, none could have had that righteousness which is by faith. If all were made partakers of faith in Christ, all would be justified by faith ; and by the gift of faith to one, and not to another, the sovereignty of man's salvation, w ith respect to the discrimination of persons, is manifested; and not in Christ's dying for this man, and not for that man. God sent his son into the world, not to die and thereby make an atonement for this or that man's sin, but to endure the full penalty of the law, and thereby make an atonement for sin, as it was the breach of the law; that whosoever believeth in him, and becomes one with him by a constituted union through faith, which is the free gift of God, might be legally ex- empted from punishment. Christ's 0^edi- ence unto death, independent of union to him through faith, cannot benefit any man, not even an elect sinner. The obedience and death of Christ are not applicable to us, or available for our pardon or justification, till we are legally one with him by a constituted union through faith, as members of his mysti- cal body. We have no interest in his right- 131 eousness, or in his atonement, till through uni- on to him, they become legally ours. Except in the design of God, there is nothing personal, with relation to man, in the death of C hrist, but what arises from union to him through faith. His atonement exempts no man from punishment, his righteousness justifies no man, till he is legally one with him; nor have the elect of God any more interest in his atonement or his righteousness than others, till they become legally one with him through faith, whereby his atonement and his righte- ousness become legally theirs. For the sake of his elect, and with a spe- cific design to save them, God gave his only begotten son to die and make an atonement for sin, whereby they might be legally ex- empted from punishment. For their sakes, Christ sanctified himself. For their sakes, he laid down his life; with a speciiic design to bring them, and them only, to glory. But in itself, the death of Christ is only a medium through which every man, that is united to him through faith, may be legally exempted from punishment. By the death of Christ, a foundation was laid, a way was opened, whereby God could honourably and legally exempt from punish- ment all the special objects of his love. — And this is effected by bestowing upon them the gift of faith, through which they are brought into a state of covenant union to Christ as members of his mystical body, whereby his righteousness and his atonement becomes, in the view of the law, their right- eousness and their atonement. But the re*t 132 of mankind are left to the natural bins of their own corrupt hearts, which infallibly lead them to refuse the salvation proposed to them in the gospel. JNevertheless, Ciod Las more concern for his own glory, and more regard lor his holy character, than to with- hold the ofibr of salvation from any man, in consequence of his knowing that the evil bias of iha^ man's heart is such, as will lead him to reject it to his own confusion. An affectionate and discreet parent, will not lose sight of his character, either in re- ceiving back, or in finally banishing from Ins presence, a disobedient and rebellious son. \\ hilst he supports his character, and maintains his authority, he will invite him to return and be reconciled to him, and will open his door to receive him, though he may have no hope of his acce]>ting the offer, having certain knowledge of his determina- tion not to return By this conduct of the father, his rebellious son is rendered inex- cusable in refusing to return and be recon- ciled to his father; and he cannot saj, in extenuation, my father was inexorable from the time of my tirst departure from him, and would not have received me if 1 had come. It was his duty to love and obey his parent before he went astray ; and his father's free invitation lays him under additional obligations to love him; and his refusing to return and be reconciled to his father when solicited by him, is an additional act of dis- obedience. It is his duty to return to his father, and no obstacle lies in the way of his return, but the want of a willing mind. — 133 Give liim a willing' mind, a disposition so to do, and there will then be no obstacle in the way. But he will never return and be re- conciled to his father, whilst enmity lo him and a disposition to remain at a distance from him, reigns and rules in his heart. There is no other inability in any man, that hears of Christ, to believe in him, than what the Jews manifested, which was the want of a disposition to believe in him.-— As our Saviour said to them, '' Ye will not come to me^ that ye might have life,'* Nei- ther is there any darkness in the understand- ing, or perversion in the judgment of such, but what is either partial iy or totally under the influence of wrong affectioas. Hence our Saviour said, Why do ye not under- stand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. If it were not the duty of every man that hears of Christ to believe in him, how could the scripture by Moses, who wrote of Christ, threaten thatnmw^ whoever he might be, that w ould not hearken to the voice of Christ, as that prophet whom the Lord would raise up from among his brethren; which is an Old Testament threatening of that punishment which should be inflicted on trans":ressors under the New Testament dispensation.— But the scriptures condemn the guilty, not the innocent, therefore it is manifest that he who refuses to be reconciled to God tlirough Jesus Christ, is criminal in so doing; and by rejecting the counsel of Ood, wrongeth his own soul. 134 CHAPTER XL ON BEING CHILDREN OF PROMISE. AND ON THE OLD TESTA3IENT ALLEGORIES. Ti HE Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah, promised to make, in the gospel day, a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; which covenant is reca- pitulated in the Epistle to the Hebrews. — . " Behold the days come^ sailh the Lord, when J unll inake a new covenaiit with the House of Israel^ and with the House of Judah. I^ot according to the CGvenant that 1 made with their fathers, in the day when I took them hy the hand, to lead them out of the la7id of Egypt. — For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their 7nind, and ivrite them in their hearts; and I loill be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people, — And they shall not teach every man his ncigh^ 135 hour^ and every wan his hrollter, saijmfr, know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least unto the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unriirliteousnesses, and tJieir sins and their iniquities will I remember no more, I he npostle says to the Gentile believers, in the church at Galatia, ^^ Now we^ brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted hi?n that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. As Isaac was born of the free woman, who was a figure of the new covenant, bv O ' m.' promise made to Abraham, so believers are born of the spirit, by the fiilfiiment of the new covenant promises; and thus, as Isaac was, believers, whether Jews or Gentiles, are children of promise. 1 he promise to Abra- ham was, that Sarah, who was a type of the new covenant, should have a son, who was to be a type of the children of promise. — 1 or as Isaac was born naturally by virtue of that promise, and so is said to be of promise; so the chosen people of God are born spiri- tually or of the spirit, l)y viitue of the new covenant promises; therefore are called children of promise. " So the)i," says the apostle, " ice are not cluldrtn of the bond woman, but of the free;'* and are counted for that seed of Abraham, to whom the promise of the inheritance was made ; and who are heirs of that inheritance, according to the promise. Tor the promise of the hea- venly inheritance, was not made to that spi« ritual seed of Abraham only, which is of the law, or among the Je\is, but to that also T 136 ^vliich is amon«^ the Gentiles, which are par- taUers of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written : " They who are of faith ^ the same are the children of Al^ra- ham J' And again; " If y^ be Christ* s^ theii are ye Abraham* s seed^ and heirs according to the promise^** made to Abraham and to his seed. The natural seed of Abraham are not the children of promise, till ihej are born of God by the fulfilment of the new covenant prom- ises. As Sarah, who was a figure of the new covenant, bare Isaac the child of promise to Abraham; so bj the fulfilment of the new covenant promise, spiritual children of prom- ise are born to God; not merely children of promise, as being heirs to a promise, but that are born of promise^ as Isaac was born of prom^ ise. That is, they are made spiritually alive to God by the fulfilment of the new covenant promise. They are born spiritually by virtue of the new covenant promise, heirs of the promise made to Abraham and to his seed. Tlue Apostle says, that thepromise of being heir of the world, was made to Abraham and to his seed through the righteousness of faitlr. That is, to persons possessed of the righteousness of faith ; for such are the spi^ ritual seed of Abraham, whether Jews or Gentiles. As it is said: "7/' ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham* s seed, and heirs accord- ing to the promise. For they wlio are (f faith, the same are the children cf Abraha^m.** — This promise which the apostle refers to, is re- corded in Genesis, xvii, 8. " And I will givs unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land 137 therein thou art a stranger^ all the land of Canaan^ for an evtrlastincr possession, and I will be their God." Those who are born of God by virtue of the new covenant pronlise being fulfilled in thein, are counted before God for the spiritual seed of Abraham, and are heirs of that better world, typified by the land of Canaan. Heirs according to the above promise made to Abraham and his seed— In this promise the land of Canaan was given to Abraham and to his natural seed after him, as a pledge and figure of the gift of the heavenly Canaan to Abraham and to his spiritual seed. Hence, Abraham is said to be heir of the world, by virtue of a promise ; and his spiritual seed heirs with him, accord- ing to the same promise. And heiice, Isaac And Jacob are said to be heirs with him of the same proiiiise. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world to comie, the heaVehly Canaan, was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law. but throuo-h the rijyhl' eousiiess of faith. And as Canaan was given to Abraham and to his natural seed by prom- ise^ as a pledge and figure of the gift of the heavfenly Canaan to him and to his spiritual ge^d, it was on this account called the Jaiid of promise: wherein Abraham sojdurned as in a strange country, dwelling in tabenia- cles with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with hirii of the Same promise; but they looked for a city^ which hath foundations, as an abitling testing place, and desired a better countly, that is an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. 138 Tlie apostle informs us, that Sarah and Hagar were figurative representations ot" the two covenants. Sarah of the new covenant, and Hagar of the Sinai covenant, which gen- dereth or bringeth forth cliiidren to bondage. — But the new covenant giveth life, and frees from bondage. By the fulfilment of its promises we are made spiritually alive unto God. Believers are born after the spirit, by virtue of the new covenant promi.-e, as Isaac was born naturally of Sarah, by virtue of the promise made to Abraham, 'i hns be- lievers, as [gaac was, are children of promise. —And thus the new covenant, or the church under the new covenant state, called the Jerusalem which is a])ove, and of which Sarah was a figure, is said to be the mother of us all, or of all believers. For Sarah was personally a figure of the new cove- nant, and historically, or in her state and circumstances, a figure of the ciuirch under the new covenant state, calledlhe Jerusalem which is from above, which is the mother of us all. Hence we read: '^ I Kill make Sara k a niolhcr of nations. So tlun Lrelhren, we are not c/iildren of the bond woma^but of the free.*' As it is said to Abraham, 1 will make thee a father of many nations; so it is said of Sarah, I will make her a mother of nations. — In the same typical sense, that Abraham is the father of all who believe, in every nation, or the father of many nations ; in that same typical sense, Sarah is the mother of us all. AUien God promised to make Abraham a 139 father of m«inv nations, the import of the ])roiiiise was, that he should have a spiritual seed auiong maiiy nations. Hence the apostle calls him the father of us all, before him whom he believed, even God. And the im- port of the promise to Sarali, that she should be a mother of nations, was, that Sarah, who was a type of the new covenant, should, iji like manner, have a spiritual seed among many nations. It is observable, that as it is said, Sarah shall be a mother of nations, and the new^ covenant, or the church un- der the new covenant state, called the Je- rusalem wliich is above, of which slie was a ligure, the mother of all believers; so it is said, Abraham is the father of nations, or the t'atherof us all, and God the father of all believers. As Sarah, who was historically a tisure of the church under the new cove- nant state, bare Isaac the child of promise to Abraham; so the church under the new covenant state, called the Jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all, brings forth spiritual children of promise to God, who is the true father of us all. So that as Sarah, in being the mother of many nations, is a type of the churcli called the Jerusalem which is above, which is the true mother of all believers; so Abraham, in being the father ot* many nations, or of us all, is a tj^pe of God the father, w ho is the true father of all believers. Sarah is the typical mother, and Abraham the /y/^zc«/ father of all believers; as the church called the Jerusalem which is above, is the true mother; and God the true 146 father of all believers. Many of the actions of Abraham seem to be allegorical represent tations of the actions of God. As God the father delivered up his son, his only son, his beloved son, to be an ^tiering and a sacrifice for sinners, raised him again from the dead, deceived him up into glory, and appointed him heir of ail things; so, Abraham, at God's command, took his son, his only son tvhom he loved, laid him uj)on the altar for a burnt offering, received him again from the dead in a figure, and appointed him heir of all his wealth. Abraham seems to have been a type of God the father, and Sarah a lype of the new covenant. As Sarah brought forth Isaac, who was born after the spirit, as the child of promise to Abraham; so, the liew covenant, or the church under the new covetiant state, brings forth spiritual children to God, called in scripture the children of promise; being born by virtue of the fulfil* tiaent of the new covenant promise, as Isaac was born by virtue of the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham. Hence we read : " Not^ k'€^ brethren^ as Isaac was, are tke children of pr(fmis€i*' 1 am far from being partial to that dispo-* i^ition which leads some persons to allegorize almost every incident recorded in sacred history. JSevertheless, it is ofteii the case, that in avoiding one extreme, we rush into its opposite. 1 here may be fancies, but therti ftre also indubitable though niysteriou^cts, both in the system of nature, and in the records of God. Ihat there are mysteries in the word oi" God \^ hich have never been 141 unravelled, I suppose no man who reveres that word, will deny. The apostle say«, that without controversy, great is the Hiys^ tery of godliness. And also, that there w ere mysteries in the ward of God which were comparatively unknown in past ages, a»d were made known to him hv revelation -r* We have the highest degree of presumptive evidence, that there are many allegories con- tained in the Old Testament scriptures, of which, at present, we have a very imperfect knowledge. IVJio in the prese4it day, cauld possibly have discovered, thiit Hagar, an Egyptian, a bond servant, who was cast out of Abraham's house, was a tigure of the Sinai covenant; and her history, an allegorical represeiitatioa of what should take place under that covenant, if the apo&tle had not i^vealed it.— And the fact of Sarah being ia her persan a figure of the new covenant, and and ill her state and circumstances a figure of the church under the new covenant slate, -p^And also the fact of Isaac and l&hmael being £gurative representations of those individuals whovvere of promise, and af those who were of the law, would have remained a secret to the present day, if the apostle had not made it known. 1 he same apostle tells us, tha4: itot 04dy these persons were figurative repre- sentations, but that even some of tiieir actions were to have a spiritual fulfilment in after ages. " Scimh said utilo A bra ham ^ cast okt this bend mo wan and her son ; far the son of this bond woitmti shall not be heir mith w^ sanry emn ivtfh l^aej* And tl>e thin^ 142 was very grievous in Abraham's sight. But because this sajing was to have a tuiiiliiient in future ages, God said to Abraham. '' In all that Sarah liaih said unto thci\ hearken unto her voice.'* And hence we read ; " If they that he of the law,'* as Ishmael was of Hagar, the bond woman, who was a figure of the Sinai covenant, " be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise mad-: of non-effect*^ For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave the earthly, which was typical of the heavenly inheritance, by promise. So then, says the apostle: " We, brethren, are not children of the bond woman, hut of the free; for the son of the bojid icoman, shall not be heir with the son of the free," — Thus we see from scripture, that Sarsili, in her person, was a figure of the new cove- nant; and in her state and circumstances a figure of the church under the new cove- nant state, called the Jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all — For her state and circumstances answered to or resembled that state of freedom from the bondage of the Sinai covenant, which was to be enjoyed by the church under the new covenant state. And thatlJagar was, in her person, a figure of the Sinai covenant; and in her state of bondage, a figure of Jerusa- lem that now is, and is in bondage with her cliildren; or of the state of the Jews whilst they were in bondage under the element^ of the world. For her state ans\>ered to or resembled that Sinai covenant state of bond- age, in which the Jewish nation was held, 143 and to which they obstinately adhered. — And aiso, that Isaac was a iiiiure ol those individuals who were children of the new covenant promise, and heirs of the heavenly inheritance, as Isaac was heir of Abraham's wealth. And Ishmael a figure of those that were of the law, or that sought righteous- ness and life by their own obedience to the law, who should be cast oat of the inherit- ance, as Ishmael was cast out of Abraham's house. So far we have the testimony ot scrip- ture, that the persons and history of Saiah, Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael, were ail tii>u rati ve and allegorical representations. And had we a more clear knowledge of the meaning of the Old Testament scriptures, there cnn he no doubt but we should find, that the history of the patriarchs abounds with alle- gorical representations, with which, at pre- sent, we are unacquainted. As Abraham, who was a type of God the fatht- r, was the husband of Sarah, who was a type of the church ; so, God is the husband of his church. " For thy Maker is tin/ husband,'* Isaiah liv. 5, — As Isaac, who was a type of believers, was Abraham's son; so, believers are the sons of God. As J^arah, who was a t^pe of the church, bare Isaac the child of promise to Abraham; so, the church under the nesv covenant state, called ^he Jerusalem which is above, is said to be the mother of us all, or.pf all believers, and bares or brings torch spiritual children of promive to God. As Ishmael, vvho was a type of unbelievers, was cast out of Abraham's house ; so, uu- V 144 believers are shut out of the heavenly inhe- ritance. In like manner, many ot the trans- actions recorded in the history of Jacob's life, were no doubt allegorical representa- tions. It is somewhat remarkable, that we frequently read in the scripture, of the seed of Abraham, and of Israel, or Jacob, but scarcely ever of the seed of Isaac, either in- a temporal or spiritual sense, except in the recitations of the covenant promise made unto Abraham, and confirmed unto Isaac. — But as Isaac was the intermediate patriarch, no doubt there was some sufficient, though hidden reason, for such a dkcriniination. 145 CHAPTER Xir. on THE PARTIAL AND COUPLE AT yULFILBIENT OF THE NEW COVENANT PROMISES. Ti HE covemint of redemption made with Clirist before time commenced, is to be dis- tniguished from that new covenant, which was promised in the prophecy of Jeremiah, and recorded in the tpistle to the Hebrews. — rhe new covenant is also to be distin- guished from the old, or Sinai covenant, as being of a different nature. The Sinai co- venant was a covenant of works ; the new covenant, a gracious covenant of promise ; and is expressly said to be niade with the house of Israel and Judah; and which truth is confirmed by those words. Not according to tlie covenant that I made with their fa- thers, when 1 took them by the hand to lead them outot' the land of Egypt. The apostle informs ^^s, -thtkt to the Jews pertained the .iks\. 146 adoption, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, uud the service of God, and the promises. As the T ord chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people unto himself above all nations, and lo^ed them for their fathers* S9kes; so, in the new covenant, he promised thjit people, that he would take from among them, a people to be to him a peculiar people, a chosen generation, a spiritual seed, and also that he won id, in the latter day, bring everj individual of that nation into the Si me ^taie of grace and favour. As it is written: ''^ And the Bedeemer shall come to Z^nn, mid .shall turn mcay hnqiKty from Jacob, — And Sit, all Israel shall be saved; for this is Wi/ coviuont unto ihtin^ when I aha ll takeaway their sins ** lo the Jews pertain the promises. And the promised bltssings inherited by the Gen- tiies, come to them ihrouj^h the medium of piomises made to the Jev\s, and which are call* d, '* ihar spiritual things^' As it is said ; *' If the Oenfiles hare been wade partakers of THEI^; spiritual things, thtir duly is also to mhi-^ tstei to them in carnal things " Some of those promises regard the chosen people of God afier ilieir conversion to God; and some of th