thus Christ, as man's surety, had the sun of his Father's countenance eclipsed, Matth. xxvii. 46, when he cried with a loud voice, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

(2.) The punishment of sense, in most grievous torments of soul and body; Matth. xxv. 41, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." When death has proceeded thus far with the sinner, the waves of God's wrath go quite over his head, arrows of vengeance dipt in the poison of the curse fly at him continually. Who knows the power of them? Psalm xc. 11. The damned are inexpressibly miserable under them for ever and ever. By them was the heart of our glorious Redeemer "melted like wax, in the midst of his bowels," Psalm xxii. 14.

All this is requisite to show just indignation against sin, and to wipe off the stain left by it on the honour of God.

2dly, As it flows from the nature of the creature fallen under the sanction of the covenant. And thus in this death, these dreadful circumstances do concur.

(1.) An irrecoverable loss of God's friendship, favour and image, Matth. xxv. 41. No more communication for ever can be between God and the creature brought to this dreadful case. All passage of sanctifying influences is stopt; the curse lies on the creature, which bars all emanations of love and favour from heaven, and leaves it under unalterable barrenness. The holy frame of the soul marred by sin, must remain so, never to be mended.

(2.) Perpetual bitter despair, Mark ix. 44. The creature once sunk into this sea of wrath, can never get up its head, nor see the shore; and knows it never shall. Hence absolute despair seizeth them, and all hope is plucked up by the roots. This lies as a talent of lead upon them, and must continually cut them to the heart. When the man Christ was forsaken of his Father, he knew he was able to get through the floods of wrath, and that he would at length joyfully set his foot on the shore; but that was because he was God as well as man. But weak man can never get through.

(3.) Continual sinning. Think and act they must; and how can they but sin, when their corrupt nature remains with them in hell? Submission to just punishment is their duty; but how can they do that in whose hearts is not the least measure of God's grace? Nay, they will gnash their teeth, in rage against God.

(4.) The eternity of the whole. Because they cannot pay out the debt to the full, therefore must they ever lie in the prison. The wrong done by sin to the honour of God is an infinite one, because done against an infinite God; and therefore the satisfaction can never be completed by a finite sufferer. So the yoke of punishment

is wreathed about the neck of the sinner for ever and ever, never to

be taken off.

This was the penalty of the covenant of works. And thus much of the parts of the covenant.

The Seals of the Covenant of Works.

Thirdly, I shall consider the seals of the covenant of works, whereby it was confirmed to Adam. It has pleased God to append seals to his covenants with men in all ages, for the confirmation of their faith of the respective covenants; and this covenant seems not to have wanted some seals appended thereto for the same effect. Though innocent Adam was not called to faith in a redeemer, no such object of faith being revealed, or competent in that state; yet was faith in God always a duty of the first command, and innocent Adam under this covenant was required to have and exercise a faith agreeable to the nature of the covenant he was under. That was, a firm persuasion that he should have life upon his performing of perfect obedience, but should die upon the least disobedience to his Creator. And according as he maintained this faith so was his obedience. Therefore Satan set himself first of all to attack the faith of our first parents, Gen. iii. 4; and when he had got it knocked on the head, then he carried his ruining project according to his wish. No wonder then he still sets himself in a peculiar manner against that grace. Now, for confirming this his faith, there were two sacramental seals appended to the covenant.

1. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Gen. ii. 17. What sort of a tree it was the scripture doth not determine, nor do the Jews pretend to define. Some gather from Cant. ii. 3, that it was an apple tree. But it is plain from the original text, that these are not the words of Christ, but of the spouse to Christ; and the book being allegorical, it is too slender a ground at best to build such a fact upon. Whatever it was, it was not so called, as having a power really to make men wise. So the tempter pretended, Gen. iii. 5, but he was a liar from the beginning, John viii. 44. But it was a sign both of good and evil; sealing to him all good while he should abstain from it, and evil if he should eat of it; and so confirming his faith in both parts of the persuasion of it. And eventually, by eating of it, he knew good by the loss of it, and evil by the feeling of it. Though it was not to be touched, it might be seen, even as the rainbow, the seal of the covenant with Noah.

2. The tree of life, Gen. ii. 9. The which, though it might be an excellent means of preserving the vigour of natural life, as other trees of paradise also, yet it could not have a virtue in itself of mak

ing man every way immortal. But it was a notable sacramental sign of life and eternal happiness, according to the nature of that covenant. The which is intimated by the eternal quickening virtue of our Lord Jesus Christ to the perfect happiness of the saints, coming under that name in the New Testament, Rev. xxii. 2; he being that in reality which the tree of life did signify. And thus the eating of it served to confirm Adam's faith, according to that covenant, namely, his persuasion of life upon performing of perfect obedience. The which is clearly intimated, Gen. iii. 22. But man having, by his sin, lost his right to the life signified, could no more be admitted to the partaking of the sacramental sign of it.

The Doctrine of the Covenant of Works applied.

USE. What is said upon this subject, serves for instruction, refutation, and exhortation.

USE I. For instruction. Here as in a glass ye may see several things, concerning God, concerning man in his best estate, concerning Christ, and concerning man in his present fallen state.

1. Concerning God, look into this covenant, and behold,

1st, The wonderful condescension of God, and of his goodness and grace toward his creature man. He stoopt so low as to enter into a covenant with his own creature, a covenant wherein he shewed himself a most bountiful and gracious God towards man. Man was not at his own, but God's disposal. Death was the natural wages of sin, but the life promised could not have been pleaded, but upon the foot of a covenant. Before that covenant man was bound to all obedience; but God was free to have disposed of him, after all, as he should see meet. But he made himself debtor to man for eternal life, upon his performing of perfect obedience; yet in the meantime his strength to obey was all from God, and there was no proportion betwixt man's work and the reward.

2dly, The spotless holiness and exact justice of God against sin. When we look to the condition and the penalty of this covenant, we must needs cry out, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, glorious in holiness?" Exod. xv. 11, and, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity," Hab. i. 13. See here, sinners, how God looks on the least sin. Is it not the abominable thing which he hates with a perfect hatred? Such an evil it is as is enough to ruin a world of creatures among whom it spreads its baleful influence, and to dissolve the whole fabric of heaven and earth.

2. Concerning man in his state of primitive integrity.

1st, Man was a holy and happy creature in his first state. He was a spotless creature, meet to transact with God, and to entertain communion with him, immediately by himself without a Mediator. He was able to obey perfectly all the ten commandments. He was happy in God's favour and covenant-friendship. Ah! how is he now fallen like a star from heaven.

2dly, Man at his best estate, standing on his own legs, is a fickle creature, liable to change. The penalty set him in the covenant, spake him to be mutable, capable of forgetting his duty to his Maker, and his own interest; and the doleful event confirmed it. Why should men put their trust in men, and make flesh their arm? The most accomplished mere man that ever was on earth, was capable of being unfaithful to his trust, and actually was so. No wonder now that every man be a liar.

3. Concerning Christ the Saviour of sinners, behold here, 1st, The absolute necessity of a Surety in the event of a breach of this covenant. The condition was so high, and the penalty so dreadful, in this covenant, that being once broken, it was beyond the power of man to retrieve the matter. He must bear the heavy penalty, and that he could never discharge. He must begin again, and fulfil the condition; and that was beyond his power. Therefore there behoved to be a surety to act and suffer for man, or he was ruined without hope of relief. Hence said our blessed Surety, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?" Luke xxiv. 26. No creature was able to have undertaken this important office; it was a burden too heavy for angels. Only he who was God as well as man could perform the arduous task.

2dly, The love of Christ to poor sinners in becoming Surety for broken men. "Greater love" (says our Lord, John xv. 13.) "hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." "God commendeth his love towards us," (says the apostle, Rom. v. 8.), "in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." None less than God man was able to answer the demands of this covenant, when once broken; therefore the Son of God was pitched upon to be the second Adam, to repair the breach made by the first ; Psalm lxxxix. 19, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people." And when there was no helper, he offered himself to undergo the burden; Psalm xl. 6, 7, "Sacrifice and offering," said this blessed Helper, "thou didst not require; mine ears hast thou opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come." If ever ye would see what Christ has done for sinners, so as to be ravished with admiration of his matchless performance, study the VOL. XI.

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covenant of works which he fulfilled as the second Adam, after it was broken by the first.

4. Concerning man in his fallen state.

1st, It is no wonder, that however scarce good works are in the world, yet working to win heaven is so very frequent. Legal principles and practices are natural to men; the covenant of works being that covenant that was made with Adam, and in him with all mankind, and so after a sort engrained in man's nature. And nothing less than the power of grace is able to bring man from off that way, to the salvation by Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. i. 23, 24, "Christ crucified is unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, he is the power of God, and the wisdom of God." We are like those who being bred merchants, though their stock is gone, must still be trafficking with small wares.

2dly, Salvation by works of our own is quite impossible; there is no life nor salvation to be had by the law, Gal. iii. 10, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse." Will ye bring your good meanings and desires, your repentance, your obedience, such as it is, and think to get life, and salvation, and acceptance with God thereby? Remember, if ye will be for doing to live your obedience must be perfect and perpetual; and that if you fail, you are under the curse. That is the tenor of the covenant of works, and it will abate nothing. And therefore ye must quit the way of that covenant, or perish for ever; for ye are absolutely incapable to answer its demands.

USE II. For refutation. With what is said these three things following are inconsistent.

1. That there was no proper covenant of works between God and Adam. The contrary has been already proved from the holy scripture, and the nature of the thing. If we yield that point, the imputation of Adam's sin will have slender grounds to stand on; and if that fail, the doctrine of the imputation of Christ's righteousness will be in hazard.

2. That believers are not wholly and altogether set free from the law as a covenant of works; from the commanding power of it, as well as the condemning power of it. If that be so, believers in Christ are yet in a miserable case; for the commands of the covenant of works are no less than commands of perfect and perpetual obedience, under the pain of the curse; Rom. iii. 19, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Compare Gal iii. 10, "For as