but promised him a Saviour, saying, the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Sera pent's Head?es And this Promise which God made unto the Fathers, viz. Adam, Noah, Abraham, &c. he hath fince fulfilled unto us their Chil dren! For when the Fulness of Time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem. those that were under the Law, i. e. Adam himself, and all his Natural Race or Offspring. For having all finned in him, and fo tranfgrefled the Law of Works, they were under the Curse and Condemnation of it, as it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. iiil But Chrift hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for Us: As it is written, Cursed is every one that bangeth on a Tree. He voluntarily fuffered for us this accursed and shameful Death, that we might escape the Curse of everlasting Death and Misery. He humbled himself, and became obedient to to Death, D even the Death of the Cross. 19 Now, Christ who fuffer'd this, was the Eternal Son of God, of the fame Nature and Substance with the Father. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, the Brightness of his Father's Glory, and the express Image of his Perfon. And as such he was above the Possibility of either Death or Sufferings. Wherefore, that he might fuffer and fatisfy for our Sins, The assumed our Nature, and so united it to his Godhead, as to become, not two, but one Person One indeed, indeed, not by Converfion of the Godhead into Man, but by taking of the Manhood into God. One altogether, not by Confufion of Substance, but by Unity of Perfon. For as the reasonable Soul and Flesh is one Man, so God and Man is one Christ. And being such an one, viz. God-Man, what he did and fuffered for us according to his Manhood, was of infinite Worth and Value, according to his Godhead; not only fatisfactory, but redundantly meritorious, fulfilling the First, and founding the Second Covenant; that when no Man living cou'd be justified by the former, through the Weakness of his Flesh, he might obtain Salvation by the new or latter Covenant. For therein God hath premised, for the Sake of Jefus Chrift, that whosoever believeth in him, or isya true Christian, shall be faved. Post noded July This is that Covenant which you folemn ly enter'd into at your Baptifm; and the Catechism instructs you in five things concerning it, as was observed in the Analysis. But before we proceed to these, let us first review, and clear up this Prelection. eut to Ordoc biết ban του 2..9 10. The Questions and Answer'sาน a M baras Q. What is Covenant? Is it not a Con A Covetract betwixt two or more Parties, in behalf of nant, what? one anotherto erinfood a A. Yes. Gen. xxvi. 28, 29. Ifaac and Abimelech made a Covenant together, that the one shou'd do no Hurt unto the other. Q. Was Q. Was there ever any Covenant betwist God and Man A. Yes. For we read of those that like Adam transgressed the Covenant, Hof.vi. 7. Margin. ८ Q. If God did engage himself in any Covenant with Man, Was not this on God's part a great and wonderful Condescension? A. Yes. For he humbleth him to behold the things that are in Heaven and Earth. Pfal. oxiii. 6. Q. Doth not the Scripture tell us of two feve ral Covenants that God hath made with Man at divers Times, viz. the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Graces are A. Yes. Heb viii. 7. If the first Covenant Love feveral had been faultless, then should no Place be betwixt God fought for the Second. Covenants and Men. nant of Works. Q. Was not the first Covenant made with Adam, the first Man, whilst he was in Paradise, in the Time of his Innocency? : A. Yes. For then and there it was that 1. The Cove- God had faid unto him, of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the Day thou eatest thereof, thou Shalt furely die. Genis 170 258 Catechist. The Doctrine of the first Govenant which God made with Man, is partly expressed, and partly implied or intimated in these Words. For tho' the Word Covenant be not here exprefly mentioned, yet here we may observe the very thing itfelf. felf. For here God and Man do mutually consent together, about Man's Condition. And that is, that Man should live or die, according as he obeyed or disobeyed God. Death was exprefly threatned upon Man's) Disobedience; which implied that he should not die, if he continued in his Integrity, but that he should still live, and be happy for ever. And the Apostle hath plainly told us, that the Man that doth them," ie. the Works of the Law, shall live in them. Gal. iii. 12. Now, when Life or Happiness in rewar-! ding of Man's Obedience, and Death or Misery for the punishing of Man's Tranfgreffion, were thus consented to, and proposed on God's part, it was certainly Man's Duty to consent to this Proposal. And being innocent and holy then, it is certain he did confent. And thus the Doctrine of the first Cove nant betwixt God and Man, which is commonly called the Covenant of Works, is evidently built and grounded upon this Text of Scripture. But concerning this Covenant. Q. Did it not require as the Condition of The contiLife and Happiness, a personal, perfect, and per- tion of this petual Obedience of us ? A. Yes. For it cursed every one that continued not in all things that were required of him. Gal. iii. 10. Q. Was Man then able to perform such Obedience ? Yes. For he was then in a State of Righteousness, as God at first created him. Covenans. ۱ Broken by And how. Q. Did Man perform to God this his Icove nanted Duty A. No. For he took and eat of the Erbit. which God had positively forbidden him, Genili. 1900 za new so ? Was it Q. How was Man induced thus to trespass against God not brought about by the Subtil Device of Satans noga A. Yes. For drawing our firft Parents first to doubt of God's Command, faying, Hath God said, ye shall not eat? Gen.iiii. he proceeds to promise them, that they should not furely die, but should be as Gods, knowing Good and Evil. 24,5ι του γιος Q. Did the Devil prevail in this Device ( A. Yes. For the Woman took of the Fruit, and did eat, and gave also to her Husband with her, and he did eat. Gen.iii. 6. our first Parents affect us Did this Sin of our their Offspring? A. Yes. For by the Offence of one, Judg ment came upon all Men to Condemnation. Rom. v. 18. Q. How and in what Way did Adam's Sin affect us? : A. It did affect us, 500 1. a natural Way, as descended from him. 23 2. In a legal Way, as as represented by him. Q. How did it affect us naturally? Were we Seminally in his Loins? A.Yes |