Part I.

ing of, had a peculiar and chief Regard, fo that this Command being broken, the Whole Covenant was thereby Chap. 2. broken without any Room left for Repentance: which chief Regard to can't, as far as it appears, be faid of any other fingle the Pofitive ComCommand whether Natural or Pofitive. It is very like- of the forbidden ly, that for this reafon God would have the faid Cove- Fruit, & for what Reafon. nant to depend Wholly on the Obeying or Not obeying of the faid Pofitive Command, and not of any Natural Law or other pofitive Precept; that thereby we might learn, that the Reward of Eternal Life is Not owing as a Debt to the Obfervation of the Law of Nature or any other Law, but is Wholly to be refer'd to the meer Grace or Favour of God. So that the faid Reward of Eternal Life, as being meerly the Free Gift of God, might without any Injustice be by him not granted to the Obfervation of the Whole Law of Nature or of any other Law; and on the other hand might, if he pleased, be granted to the Obfervance of one fingle Pofitive Command, viz. not eating the Forbidden Fruit, tho' feemingly this Command was Not of fo great Importance in its own Nature, as was either of the other two pofitive Commands, viz. of a Man's having chief Affection for his Wife, and keeping Holy the Seventh day.

VII.
Death, which

called Eternal.

3ly. It is well to be obferv'd, that the Death wherewith God threaten'd Man as his Punishment, if he broke was the Punishthe Covenant, is not in reafon to be understood of E- ment for breaking the first Coternal Death any further, than as by Eternal Death may venant, in what be fignify'd only the Eternal Separation of the Soul fenfe it may be from the Body, and also the Eternal Exclufion of the Soul from God or Heavenly Blifs. That God might Juftly, and that Only for the Sin of Adam, exclude not only him, but also all his Pofterity, from the Joys of Heaven, and alfo might have put them under the Neceffity of Dying without any Hopes of Ever Rifing again, is clearly evident from this Confideration,: viz. That God without any Injuftice might at First have created, Man, not only with Design that he fhould never partake of the Joys of Heaven, but also that he fhould undergo Death. Now it is moft Evident, that What God might Justly have done Abfolutely or Uncon

.

ditionally,

Part I.

Chap. 2.

VIII.

exprefly promifed

1

ditionally, the Same he might Justly do Conditionally, or with respect to the Sin of Adam in eating the Forbidden Fruit. Whence it molt evidently follows, that God might most Justly, and that Only for the forefaid Sin of Adam, exclude All his Pofterity as well as Adam himfelf from the Joys of Heaven, and also might Decree them as well as him to undergo Bodily Death. But the Cafe is quite different in respect of Eternal Death, as thereby is meant, not only the Separation of the Seul from the Body, but alfo the Eternal Torments of Hell. For that God fhould decree, that for the forefaid Sin of Adam alone, All his Polterity should become liable to the Everlasting Torments of Hell, is altogether dif agreeable both to Reason and Scripture, and What therefore may well be pronounced altogether Incon fiftent with the Divine Juftice as well as Goodness.

41y. That the Covenant I am speaking of, was more Eternal Life was than a tacit or implicit Covenant of Eternal Life, ie, that as a Reward of God did exprefly promise the Joys and Glory of Heaven Keeping the first Covenant, moft to Adam, to Adamy as a Reward of his Keeping the faid Cove. probably to be nant, tho' the Holy Scripture do's not plainly affert it, Believ'd. yet there are several weighty Arguments which induce us to Believe it. For fuch a Promife was the greatest Incitement that could be given for punctually keeping the fard Covenant; and it can't be reafonably fuppos'd, that the Exceeding great Love, which God had for Man in his Integrity, would permit him to let That be Unknown to Adam, the Defire of which, when Known', would be the greatest Motive to induce Adam punétai ally to oblerve the faid Covenant, and so to attain that End, to which God created and defign'd him. Belides Reafon teaches us, that the Conditions of any Covenant ought to be clear and exprefs, to as Rightly and Fully to be underflood by both Parties Covenanting. Where fore, unless God did clearly and exprefly promise Eternal Life to Adam before the Fall, there was no Covenant of Eternal Life before the Fall, which is contrary to the Judgment and Doctrin of the Catholick Church.

IX.
Our first Parents

ly. Further yet, it was by Virtue of the Covenant were endued with before the Fall, that Adam and Eve being already made

Part I.

der to attain E

in the Integrity or Perfection of Human Nature, were moreover endued with the Divine Spirit; whereby as Chap. 2. by a Principle of the Divine Nature, their Natural Fa- the Grace of the culties, other wife altogether Unfufficient to fuch a pur- Holy Spirit, in orpofe, were rais'd up to the Ability of attaining that Hea- ternal Life. venly Blifs, which God had defign'd for and promis'd to them, and whereof the Blifs of the Earthly Paradise is deservedly thought to have been as it were a Type or Representation. But now to what, end fhould our First Parents have been endu'd with the Divine Spirit, unless they had been affur'd by a Promife exprefly made them by God, that they should attain Heavenly Bliss, if fo be they would but make due Use of the Affiftance of the Divine Spirit, to raise themselves up to the Attainment of the faid Heavenly Blifs?

X.

6ly. It is worth obferving, that the Covenant I am The Covenant fpeaking of, may very fitly be call'd the First Covenant before the Fall may Rightly be of Grace: The First, because it was Before any other called the First Divine Covenant: A Covenant of Grace, because it was Covenant of Grace. made with Man out of the meer Grace or Favour of God; and by Virtue of this Alone, God did actually vouchsafe Adam and Eve before the Fall the Grace or Supernatural Aid of his Holy Spirit here on Earth, and did purpose to vouchsafe them Eternal Life and Glory in Heaven. This Covenant is wont to be call'd by fome Writers The Covenant of Works, to distinguish it from the Gospel; but fuch a Name or Distinction is very improper, and apt to give Perfons a wrong Notion of this and the Gospel-Covenant; or at least of the true Difference between them, as will be fhewn in Chapter 4. §. 4, 5, &c.

Laftly it is to be observ'd, and that in the most fpecial manner, forafmuch as the contrary Opinion is that Fundamental or First Miftake, from which arife many Others, and that not of fmall Concern. It is therefore to be well observ'd, that the First Covenant made with Adam in his State of Integrity, by his Sin in eating the Forbidden Fruit, became altogether Null and Void, not only in refpect to Himself, but also to all his Posterity; fo that now all the Children of Adam,

C

confi

XI. The first Covenant quite annull'd and made void by

the first Sin.

Part I.

confider'd only as Such, are Children of Death, i. e. are Chap. 2. wholly excluded from all Promife of Eternal Life, and are fubjected to the neceffity of Dying without any Hope of a Refurrection. This is no other Doctrin than what is plainly taught in feveral Places of the New Teftament, efpecially in Chap. 5. to the Romans. Hence it was the Receiv'd Doctrin of the Catholick Church, as well Before as After Pecagius; and whoever taught the Contrary, was esteem'd an Heretick.

I.

nant being null'd

the Law of Na

This is fufficient to my Purpofe to have spoken of the first Covenant of Grace. I proceed next to speak of the fecond Covenant of Grace or the Gospel.

CHA P. III.

Of the Second Covenant of Grace or Eternal Life,
which God made with Man prefently after the
Fall, and is wont to be peculiarly call'd the
Gospel.

TH

The first Cove- 'HO' Man by his First Sin had forfeited God's fpecial Grace and Favour, yet God had not thereby the firft sin, by forfeited his Right of Dominion over Man. Whereture remain'd-fore as the Law of Nature was before any Divine CoLone Obligatory to venant, fo the First Covenant ceafing or being made Man at fir after Null and Void by the firft Sin, the Law of Nature

the Fall.

II.

Man by his Fall was quite exclud

Alone remain'd Obligatory to Man. And thereby Man now Faln was oblig'd (not to an * Entire Obedience, as in his State of Integrity, this being now become Impoffible for him to perform, but) to fuch an Obedience, as was really fuitable to the Abilities ftill left him, and which therefore might be perform'd by the bare Abilities of Faln Nature.

Whereas then Man, by the most perfect Obedience ed from all Pro- in his State of Perfection, could properly or of strict mife of Eternal Right never merit Eternal Life or Heaven according Life, and fubjected to the Neceffity of to the Law of Nature, as has been afore obferv'd ChaDying without amy Hope of Ever pter 1. §. 8. and Chap. 2. 2. It hence follows that much See this further prøv❜d Chap, 6. §. 26. of this Part I,

Rifing again.

lefs

Part I.

Of the Covenant made presently after the Fall. lefs can Faln Man merit Heaven or Eternal Life, by the utmost Obedience he can now perform, according Chap. 3. to or by virtue of the Law of Nature. Wherefore fince by eating of the Forbidden Fruit the first Covenant ceas'd, on the Obfervation of which was founded All the Right Man had to Eternal Life; and not only fo, but alfo according to the Tenor of the faid Firft Covenant, and for a Punishment of Breaking it, Man now Faln was fubjected to the Neceffity of Dying; and fince by virtue of the Law of Nature, tho' obferv'd with the most perfect Obedience, Faln Man can't anew obtain Freedom from Death, much lefs Right to Eternal Life: It hence follows, that Man confider'd barely in bis Faln State, not only was wholly excluded from All Promife of Eternal Life, but also was laid under a Neceffity of Dying without any Hope of Rifing again.

nal Life.

III.

Such was the truly miferable Condition of Faln Man, Whereupon God when God, who of his free and infinite Goodness at firft of his Mercy was pleas'd to make created him out of Nothing, did of his free and infinite with Man a New Mercy (as St Paul speaks Ephef. 2. 10.) anew create Covenant of Eterhim in Chrift Jefus unto Good Works, and fo to Eternal Life, as a Gracious Reward of his Good Works or Holy Life, i. e. did enter into a New Covenant of Eternal Life with Man, thro' the Mediation and Redemption of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

In what Senfe

Indeed St Paul exprefly affirms that Adam was the IV. Type or Figure of him that was to come, i. e. Chrift, Adam is call'd a Rom. 5. 14. who therefore by the fame Apostle is ex-Type of Christ. prefly ftyl'd the last Adam, 1 Cor. 15. 45. Now in what refpect Adam was thus a Type of Christ, may be gather'd from other Paffages in the Writings of the fame Apostle. For in 1 Cor. 15. 22. are thefe Words, As in Adam All dy, even fo in Chrift fhall All be made alive, i.e. As according to the Firft Covenant, for the Sin of Adam only, both he and all his Pofterity were put under a Neceffity of Dying; So according to the Second Covenant, for the Righteoufnefs of Chrift only, both Chrift himself has been already freed, and all Mankind fhall be freed, from the perpetual Dominion of Death by means of the Refurrection. Further we read

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thus