parts included in it. The covenant of redemption is the first and leading part of it, on which the covenant of reconciliation is predicated, and all the subsequent dealings of God with mankind, flow from it; by attending to which, we shall be led into a more full acquaintance with the covenant, and more clearly see the true tenor of it. Therefore,

III. I proceed to inquire into the state of mankind under this dispensation of redeeming grace, and the tenor of the various dealings of God with them.

When God came to our first parents after the fall, and had convicted them of their breach of the first covenant; he thereupon revealed the covenant of grace, by the promise of the seed of the woman that should bruise the serpent's head and thereby the dispensation of redeeming grace was brought in, the Redeemer's kingdom was set up, and the influence of his mediation took place, before God proceeded to pass any sentence upon them for their transgression. And this dispensation of redeeming grace being thus brought in, from this time forward it became the foundation of all the subsequent dealings of God with mankind; which I shall essay to illustrate in the following observations.

1. By the introduction of this new dispensation, the execution of the threatening of the first covenant upon our first parents was prevented; and a new state of trial for life or death was granted them, which made room for their posterity to come into existence in the course of ordinary generation. When Adam had broken the first covenant, death became his due according to the threatening, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."There remained no room for him to continue any longer a probationer under the first covenant; but his state was effectually decided nothing but death was before him. And as the tenor of the threatening was, that he should die on the day that he sinned; there must have been a speedy end of him, and with

him, the end of the whole human race; and this world which was made for his habitation, must have been destroyed, or remained an unir.habited desert, if the Mediator had not then interposed to sustain the sinking world. But as the mediation of Jesus Christ then took place, on that account God continued to uphold the world, to preserve the course of nature, to spare fallen Adam from the execution of the curse of the broken covenant, and to grant him another state of trial on the footing of the covenant of grace.

Some have taken much pains to little purpose, to show a reason why Adam did not suffer death on the day that he sinned, according to the threatening of the first covenant; and have labored to give such an unnatural turn to the threatening, as to make it consistent with God's sparing him from present death, and allowing him to live long enough to leave a posterity of sinful mortals behind him, before the threatened death should be inflicted upon him. But such delays of justice cannot be accounted for, from the tenor of the first covenant: but it was manifestly a privilege granted to him in the covenant of grace, as a fruit of the mediation of Christ. After the breach of the first covenant, Adam lived above nine hundred years; during which period he was a probationer for life or death, under the covenant of grace and this day of grace therefore, must necessarily be looked upon as a privilege procured for him by the Mediator, and granted to him in the covenant of grace. And this view of the case gives us a plain, natural and easy account of God's sparing Adam from punishment according to the threatening: It was the Mediator who obtained this privilege, or reprieve from death: for him.

When the first covenant was broken, and Adam had thereby laid himself open to the curse of it; the question to be determined was, whether the curse should be executed upon him, and the whole human race be cut off at one stroke: or whether that covenant should be superceded by the introduction of the second covenant; whereby a trial for life or death

should be granted both to him and to his seed, upon this new footing. It was the last of these which divine wisdom and goodness hath chosen. Here then we are to inquire what that state is, in which Adam and his seed are to be considered, when this change in the divine government was made, in superceding the first covenant by the introduction of the second.

As to Adam, it is plain he then stood as a fallen creature before God; and yet, it remained to be determined by his conduct under this second covenant whether life or death should be his portion And as

to his sced, the state in which they are born, is much the same with that in which he then stood. When Adam was created, his Maker formed him to be the root and father of the human race. The manner in which mankind were to come into being, was then established to be by ordinary generation. The God of nature then established such a near and close natural union among them, that they should be all partakers of the same nature, share in like privileges, and be dealt with upon the same footing; this natural union being a proper foundation of, and a leading step to that federal union between him and his seed, which was appointed in the first covenant. Union with the blessed God, the supreme head of the moral world, is, in the nature of things, necessary to the well being of the rational system. This state of union with God, was the state in which the human nature was first formed. And for securing and preserving this union of the human race with God, both the natural and the federal union which were originally ordained between Adam and his seed, were intended to be subservient. That cov enant-union which God appointed between Adam and his seed, was not to be considered as a mere arbitrary appointment; (though on that supposition, the divine right and authority cannot be disputed) but it was a wise and proper method to preserve and secure that union of mankind with himself, which is e-sential to the happiness of his rational creatures.

Whether there was any other, or any better method that could have been devised to secure the union of mankind with God, than that which was provided in nature, and appointed in the first covenant, is not for us to determine. But this consideration should satisfy us in the case, that of all possible methods, infinite and unerring wisdom made choice of this natural and federal union of mankind with their first father. But we see, Adam by his misconduct frustrated the good tendency and intention of his primitive state, and brought ruin upon himself; and his seed thereby became liable to be cut off from their then future, intended existence. But as by the second covenant, & new state of trial and day of grace was afforded to our first parents; it made way for their seed to come into the world according to the originally appointed method of ordinary generation. And this shows that we receive even our natural exist

ence through the influence of the mediation of Jesus

Christ.

It has been before proved, that Adam's seed, according to the constitution of the first covenant, were to be affected with, and sharers in the fruits and consequences of his conduct under that dispensation.— And what great advantages would have accrued to them from his fidelity, had he been faithful, we have not sufficient light from the word of God to determine. But since he fell, and it was the introduction of the second covenant that made room for us to come into being according to the originally appointed method of ordinary generation, it is not reasonable to suppose we shall now suffer any greater positive punishment on account of Adam's breach of covenant, than we should have done if the second covenant had not been brought in; but the first covenant had had its full operation. Indeed, sins committed under any dispensation, are aggravated in proportion to the excellency of the constitution, and the privileges contained in it. Although, therefore, sins commitred under the covenant of grace, are peculiarly ag

gravated, yet this affords no reason why Adam's seed should have a greater punishment laid upon them for his breach of the first covenant, than they were to have suffered according to the covenant under which the offence was committed. And as all the evil they would have suffered if the first covenant had had its full operation, was merely negative, in that their then future existence would have been prevented; therefore a greater evil than non-existence cannot be executed upon any of the seed of Adam, merely for his breach of covenant And accordingly we no where find mankind ever threatened with future damnation merely for the sin of Adam.

Wherefore if the future state of the infants of heathen dying in infancy, should be objected against what has been now offered, I would reply-The mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ procured their natural life; they were born into the world probationers under the covenant of grace. If, therefore, they perish in the next world, it must be not for Adam's breach of the first covenant, but for their non-compliance with the covenant of grace. There are no greater difficulties attending the supposition of their perishing for non-compliance with the covenant of grace, than there are attending the supposition of their suffering for the sin of Adam imputed. But I know of nothing that will warrant our saying any such shall perish. For it was the mediation of Jesus Christ that procured their natural life, and they are born probationers under the covenant of grace; and although they are taken out of the world before they were capable of yielding actual compliance with the terms of life; yet neither have they positively rejected them. But it must be confessed the scriptures do not afford sufficient light to enable us to make any certain conclusions in the case.

But if any will insist upon it, that as they are naturally depraved by Adam's fall, so they must suffer for it after death; I answer- As the evil they would have suffered if the first covenant had had its full