sinner in and by himself, standing as principal party contracting with God, undertaking and performing the conditions of the covenant for life: for how low soever these conditions undertaken and wrought by the sinner himself be, the promise of the covenant is made to them, and so, according to the scripture, it is a covenant of works, Rom, iv. 4, 5. And there is no difference between Adam's covenant and such a covenant, but in degree, which alters not the kind of covenant.

4. That the communication of righteousness and life to sinners might be in as compendious a way as the communication of death and sin was, Rom. v. 19. God having made the covenant of works with Adam as the representative of his seed, sin and death was communicated to them all from him as a deadly head, having broken the covenant. This being so, it was not agreeable to the method of divine procedure, to treat with every one to be saved, by themselves as principal parties in the new covenant for life; but with one public person for them all, who should be, by his fulfilling the covenant, a quickening head to them, from whom life might be derived unto them, in as compendious a way as death from the first Adam. This was most agreeable to the way of him whose mercy is above all his other works.

5. That it might be a sure covenant, as entered into with a sure hand, Rom. iv. 16. The first covenant was made with a mere creature as principal party and contractor; and though he was a holy and righteous creature, yet he was so unstable in performing the condition laid on him, that the promise was lost. Wherefore the fallen creature was not fit to be the principal party, or party contractor in the new covenant, wherein the promises were to be sure to poor sinners, and not to misgive. Therefore the Lord seeing them all a broken company, not to be trusted in this matter, he proposes to his own Son to be head of the new covenant, and therein to act for and in name of those given him for a a seed; which being accepted, the business is made sure. God looked only to him for the performance of the con dition, and the promises were made to him, and so are sure to all the seed, Gal. iii. 16. Compare Psal. lxxxix. 28. My mercy will I keep for him, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.'

Inf. 1. What a spring of unspeakable comfort is it to be

lievers, to look back into eternity, before the world was made, and to behold the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, standing as the last Adam, contracting with God in the second covenant! This may move them to cry, 'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Rom. xi. 33. and to shout, Grace, grace to the glorious contrivance, so full of grace. Here they may see,

1. The covenant on which their salvation depends made with a near relation of theirs, even as was the first cove. nant by the breaking of which they were ruined. In the one stood the first Adam for them, in the other the second Adam. Why should they look as strangers towards the covenant of grace? The party contracting in it with God is their near kinsman, their elder brother, flesh of their flesh, and bone of their bone, Eph. v. 30.; nay, their Father, who is nearer to and has a more natural concern in them than a brother ; even the second Adam, who is their second Father; in respect of which I think he is called the ever, lasting Father, Isa. ix. 6. compare Heb. ii. 13.

2. Their nature highly dignified; the human nature, however corrupt it is in the multitude that partake of it, yet pure and spotless in the second Adam, fit to enter into a new covenant with an offended God. Man's nature, as it was defiled by Adam, became so abominable, that it could never again appear before God immediately to covenant with him; but in Christ it is so perfectly pure, that it was capable of an immediate union with the Godhead in his person, and so of covenanting with him immediately.

3. The covenant so stable and firm, that it cannot be broken, the Son of God himself being the second Adam, contractor in this covenant, The first Adam being a mere creature, not confirmed, his covenant was liable to breaking, he was capable of failing, and did fail, in the performance of the condition and so are all the covenants made with God upon conditions to be performed by sinful men: but in regird of the party-contractor, viz. the Lord Jesus, the cove nant of grace is an everlasting covenant, it cannot be bro ken, Isa. Iv. 3. Psal. lxxxix. 30,-33, 34.

4. The covenant well ordered in all things, as for the honour of God, so for their good in time and eternity. The second Adam, manager for them, was the Son of God, in

whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid; he managed for his own family, his own children: so there was neither affection nor wisdom wanting in him. We may be sure then there is nothing in the covenant that their good would have required to have been kept out; and nothing out that their case required to be in. What remains then, but that by believing they approve of the covenant, and take the comfort of it?

Inf. 2. The covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace are not two distinct covenants, but one and the same covenant. I know some great and good men have taught otherwise, alleging the covenant of redemption to have been made with Christ, and the covenant of grace to be made with believers; though they were far from designing or ap proving the ill use some have made of that principle. However, the doctrine of this church, in the Larger Catechism, is in express words, "The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.' From whence it necessarily follows, that the co venant made with Christ and with believers, or the covenant of grace and redemption, are one and the same covenant. Only, in respect of Christ, it is called the covenant of redemption, forasmuch as in it he engaged to pay the price of our redemption; but in respect of us, the covenant of grace, forasmuch as the whole of it is of free grace to us, God himself having provided the ransom, and thereupon made over life and salvation to poor sinners, his chosen by free promise, without respect to any work of theirs to entitle them thereto*.

Inf. 3. As all mankind sinned in Adam, so believers obeyed and suffered in Christ the second Adam. For as the covepant of works being made with Adam as a public person and representative, when he broke the covenant, all sinned in him; so the covenant of grace being inade with Christ as a public person and representative, all believers obeyed and suffered in him, when he fulfilled the covenant, Rom. viii. 3, 4. Gal. ii, 20.

Inf. 4. Believers are justified immediately by the righteousness of Christ, without any righteousness of their own

The illustration of this point may be seen in the author's View of the Covenant of Grace, under the title, Of the party-contractor en man's side inf. 1. a work posterior to this discourse.

intervening, as all men are condemed from their birth upon the sin of Adam, before they have done good or evil in their own persons. So that they are righteous before God with the self-same righteousness, which was wrought by Christ in his fulfilling of this covenant; which righteousness is imputed to them, not in its effects only, so as their faith, repentance, and sincere obedience, are accepted as their evangelical righteousness, on which they are justified; but in itself. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified: and faith, repentance, and new obedience, considered as conditions performed, are works and cannot found a title to justification.

Inf. 5. The covenant of grace is absolute, and not conditional to us. For being made with Christ as representative of his seed, all the conditions of it were laid on him, and he has fulfilled the same. So what remains of the covenant to be accomplished is only the fulfilling of the promises to him and his spirituai seed; even as it would have been with the first Adam's seed, if once he had fulfilled the condition of the covenant.

Inf. 6. The way to attain to the enjoyment of all the benefits of the covenant of grace, is to unite with Christ the head of the covenant by faith. Being thus ingrafted into him, ye shall partake of all that happiness secured to mystical Christ in the everlasting covenant; even as by your becoming sons of Adam by your natural generation, ye fall under that sin and death which passeth on all by the breaking of the first covenant, Rom. v. 12.

Inf. 7. The offer of Christ made to you in the gospel, is the offer of the covenant of grace to you, and of all the benefits thereof; and the embracing of Christ is the embracing of the covenant, and the personal entering into it. The covenant of grace held forth in the gospel, is the cord of love let down from heaven to perishing sinners shipwrecked in Adam, to save them from sinking into the bottom of the gulf, and to hale them to land. It is their duty to lay hold on the covenant by faith, Isa. lvi. 4, 6. And that is done by taking hold of Christ in the free promise, believing that he is held forth to you in particular, confiding and trusting in him for your salvation from sin and wrath, upon the ground of God's faithfulness in the promise, Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life,' John iii. 16.

For he is given for a covenant to you, Isa. xlix. 8. and xlii. 6. So receiving him you receive the covenant, he being the head of the covenant, who performed the condition, and to whom the promises were made.

Inf. 8. The covenant of grace is a contrivance of infinite wisdom and love, worthy to be embraced by poor sinners with all joy, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. O admirable contrivance of help for a desperate case! wonderful contrivance of a cove nant with them who were incapable of coming into the presence of a holy just God, or to perform the least condition for life and salvation! A new bargain for life and salvation to lost sinners, on the highest terms, made with those who were incapable to come up to the lowest terms! Wisdom found out the way, viz. by a representative: the love of the Father engaged him to make the proposal; and the love of the Son induced him to accept of it. Thus a sure covenant is made, and a firm foundation laid, on which the sinner may safely lay his whole weight, for upon it lies the weight of God's honour, Isa. xxviii. 16.

Inf. last, How sinful and dangerous must the course of those be who practically corrupt the covenant of grace, pretending to make a covenant with God, as parties contractors and undertakers, for life and salvation, instead of taking hold of God's covenant; The carnal Jews did so corrupt it, looking for life and salvation, not for the sake of the promised seed alone, but for their obedience to the ceremonial and moral law: and thus do many to this day practically corrupt it. They think the covenant of grace is a promise of life and salvation upon condition of faith, repentance, and sincere obedience to the law: whereupon they consent to these terms, and solemnly undertake to perform them, and then, upon their (fancied) performance of them, they challenge life and salvation, as having done their part. This quite overturns the nature of the covenant of grace, Rom. iv. 4. and xi. 6. The sinfulness of it is great, as overlooking Christ, the great undertaker and party contractor by the appointment of the Father; and putting themselves in his room, to act, and do, and work for themselves for life. And the danger of it must be great, as laying a foundation to bear the weight of their souls, which divine wisdom saw to be quite unable to bear it, Gal. v. 4. So the issue of such covenanting must be, that the covenanters shall lie down in sorrow. The true