Of the Promi(es in getJera!. 123 children, then heirs, heii~s of God, and joint· heirs with Chrifi.' 3• As in the .covenant of works, God promifed life to Adam's natural feed, upon condition of his perfect obedience; which is evident hom death's coming on them by his difobedieP.ce : fo in·the covena,nt of grace, he bath proniifed life to C/Jrijl's fpiritual feed, upon condition. of his obedience: for, ' as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift ihall all be made alive,' I Cor. xv.. 22. But that promife of life for //dam's natural feed, _ was primarily made to Adam himfelf, while as · yet none of them were in being ; and they were to par– take ofit, only through him,to who111 it was made as · .their reprefentative . . Therefore the promife of life to Chrijl's fpiritual feed, was made chiefly to Chriji himfdf; :md to them, only in and through him. Ac- ' cordingly we are told, that the promife ofeternal Jife, upon which the hope of believers i~ built, was made !Jefore the world began, Tit. i. 2. And, to whom could it be then made, immediately and primarily, but to Chrifi the Head of the covenant? Laflfy, Thefe proniifes contain a part of the reward made over in the covenant, to jefus Chrifi, ' Who _· for the joy that was fet before him endured the crofs,' Heb. xii. 2. A great part of which joy lay here; He jhall fee his feed----the travel'of his foul, Ifa. liii. Io, 11. All of thefe promifes were the price of his blood, to him; the purchafe of his obedi~nce and death ; therefore called the new Teflament in his blood. To whom could the rey:ard be chiefly promifed, but ro him, who performing the condition, wrought the work; Unto him therefore it was of debt, namely, In virtue of the promife, which made it due to him, upon his performing of the condition. The bleffings of the · covenant, which come on the elecr, are cerrainly to be confidered as a reward to Chrifl, as well as a free gift to them. And confidering them in rhe firfi ofthefe views, there is no more abfurdity ~n the promife of the - · new
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