Bates - BT775 B274 1675

1 Sd 3 amyl)of t o littrí utesi, :-Cha ferve him in the perpetualenjoyment of it. But there fJ was no promiCe of Heaven annexed to that Covenant, without which Adam could attain no knowledge, nor conceive any hopes of it. If there had been a necef- fary connexion between his perfect Obedience, and the lifeof Glory, it would have been revealed to him, to allure his will : for there can be nodelire of an un- knowngood. And whereas in theCovenant God prin- cipally and primarily regards the promiCe, and but fe- condarily the threatning, the exercice of goodnefs be- ing more pleating to him than of revenging juftice ; 'tis faid, that God exprefly threatned Death, but he made no promu e of Heaven : by which 'tis evident it did not belongto that Covenant. For it was eafier for Man to underftand the quality of the punifhment that attended fin, than to conceiveof Celeftial Happinefs, . of whichhe was incapable in his animal fiate. 'Tis true, God might have beftowed Heaven as an abfolute gift upon Man, after a courte of obedience; but 'twas not due by the condition of the firft Cove- nant. A natural work can give no title to a fuperna -- tural reward. Mans perfeverance in his duty, accord- ing to the Original Treaty, had been attended with Tn. 2.". Immortal Happinefs upon the Earth ; but the bleed Hope is only promifed in the Gofpel, and unfpeakably tranfcends the felicityofNature in its confummate five. This Reward isanfwerable to the unvaluable treafure which was laid down for it. The Blood of the Sonof God as 'tis a tianfotn to redeem us from mifery, fo 'tis rrn. s. 6. a price to purchafe glory for Believers. 'Tis called the Mar. 26, ss: Blood ofthe New-Te ament, becaufe it conveys a title to the Heavenly Inheritance. Our impunity is the cf fe& ofhis Satisfaction, our pofitive happinefs ofhis re- dundant merit. God was fo well pleated with his per- fat Obedience, which infinitely furpaflès that of any . nicer

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